By ILOILO CITY – Last January 15, 2024, a group of drivers, operators, and commuters under the No To PUV Phaseout Coalition (NTPPC) – Panay, held a caravan and protest action in Iloilo City against jeepney phaseout.
The one-kilometer caravan with more than a hundred jeepneys and vehicles started from Tagbak, Jaro, and went around Iloilo City. The caravan ended at Iloilo Provincial Capitol where a short program was held.
According to NTPPC-Panay, they call to defend their livelihood and oppose the phaseout of traditional jeepneys. To NTPPC-Panay, the modernization program is nothing but a failure and a burden to traditional jeepney drivers and small operators.
It can be noted that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) released Memorandum Circular 2023-051 last December 14, 2023, declaring December 31, 2023, as the deadline for the compulsory consolidation. However, due to the strong opposition of the drivers, operators, and commuters, who held a nationwide transport strike before the year ended, LTFRB extended the provisional authority of unconsolidated traditional jeepneys until the 31st of January 2024.
Moreover, last January 24, Marcos Jr. also approved Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista’s recommendation to yet again extend the deadline for consolidation to April 30, 2024.
Despite these victories, NTPPC-Panay continues the call to junk the government’s PUV Modernization Program because thousands of drivers and operators will be affected, and the compulsory consolidation is also unconstitutional as it violates the drivers and operators’ right to choose the organization or cooperative they want to be a part of.
If pushed through, the drivers and small operators will not be the only ones affected by the modernization program. Acccording to NTPPC-Panay, the minimum fare for modernized jeepneys may reach P30-45, which ordinary citizens cannot afford.
The group calls on their fellow drivers and small operators to join the cause as well as the commuters to support their calls and demands./PT
