Transpo strike hampers productivity, economy

CEBU, Philippines - Any disruption in the flow of transportation can extensively hamper the productivity of workers and students as well as business activities especially among the small-scale traders, a Cebuano economist said.

The disturbance in the movement of people and goods caused by a transport strike already poses an immediate effect on the economy, The FREEMAN columnist Fidel Abalos said in an interview.

"And the question now is 'What is the extent of the transport strike?'"Abalos asked as he noted that a continuing strike could definitely have a much worse effect on the local economy.

The economist emphasized that regardless of  "how little or short a strike may be" it will always have an effect on the economic activities and the efficiency of the majority of the workforce and convenience of the students.

This was evident last Thursday when members of the transport organization Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide and activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan rallied for a one-day transport strike nationwide, pushing riders to experience tough commute.

Transport workers did not ply their routes on that day as the Department of Transportation and Communications, together with Land Transportation Office and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, has ordered a new penalty scheme, which the drivers claim as exorbitant. 

The Thursday protest among transport groups was primarily aimed at going against the government's new order.

But when asked for her comment on the event, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ma. Teresa Chan has this to say: "The government resorted to those penalties to protect the riding public from operators who are not safety conscious. So, I personally support it."

This also resulted to commuters looking for many ways to travel which made rush-hour highways very crowded of waiting passengers.

Furthermore, not only commuters were badly affected by the strike, some small retailers in Cebu City similarly expressed disappointment on the event which had also taken toll on their business.

Traders at the city's Carbon Market shared that few shoppers visit the market on the strike day as people had a hard time getting to their destinations-the market is one.

"Di kaayo dagsa sa mga tawo dinhi pag-transport strike kay nagkalisod gyod ang mga tawo pagbiyahe bisan kami pud," 50-year-old vegetable vendor Tacio Ganar said, adding that they, as commuters too, were also affected by the clout.

Ganar and some of his fellow vendors observed a decrease on the number of buyers on Thursday and it actually made a significant difference in their daily profit.

Jovy Pedrasa, another market retailer, said they were greatly affected not just as commuters but also as vendors, saying the Thursday protest marked a low selling day to them.

Abalos further noted, "It affected mostly our small vendors in Carbon because people, instead of passing by and buy something in the market they would rather go straight and catch jeepneys as much as possible."

Work productivity is what primarily being affected considering that majority of employees is very much dependent on mass transportation specifically public utility jeepneys, the columnist also said.

"So it's really unproductive and very much bad for them (workers)," he said. "Not only are the people suffering but the economy as well."

Although any transit clout does not directly affect the operation of big companies which normally have company vehicles already, it is most of the time the small businessmen who suffer the consequences.

Transport strike is certainly not far from happening again in the future and for Abalos, the only way to address the consequences of a strike is to improve the mass transportation system in Cebu.

He expressed support for the realization of the Bus Rapid Transit system which the government expects to accomplish by 2017. He though added that this system must also be extended to other parts of the province not just in the central district.

Abalos stressed that transport strikers, who are mostly parents themselves, must also realize the extent of inconvenience their activity can bring to their children--the students--and to the public in general.

Although the local government units were able to provide a short-term solution to the transport difficulty recently through giving free bus rides, a long-term solution must be put in place as soon as possible.

Abalos also said that while people living in a democratic nation like the Philippines are well allowed to do protests; problems always have other greater ways to be solved than having to trouble the public. (FREEMAN)