PUJ groups announce strikes beginning April 15

MANILA, Philippines — Jeepney drivers are gearing up for another transport strike on Monday to express their dismay over President Marcos’ pronouncement that there will be no further extension of the franchise consolidation deadline on April 30.

Transport groups Manibela and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) will lead the transport strike, which they said will be joined by thousands of jeepney and UV Express units all over the country.

“Starting Monday, April 15, we will have a transport strike nationwide, not only in Metro Manila,” Manibela president Mar Valbuena said in a briefing.

“The series of hearings for the PUVMP (Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program) has not even ended in Congress and our petition against this is still pending in the Supreme Court but the administration is in a rush to take away the livelihood of drivers and small operators,” PISTON deputy secretary general Ruben Baylon said.

Valbuena said they initially plan a two-day strike but this could continue indefinitely even after the deadline if the government does not take action on their demands.

“The protests will continue as this will not only be for one day, or two, or three. Until we reach this deadline that was given to us, this will continue,” Valbuena added.

Baylon said the Marcos administration is not listening to the pleadings of the transport sector and that the government only extended the deadline after transport workers mounted a series of strikes.

PISTON said their demand goes beyond another deadline extension but wants the complete junking of the franchise consolidation requirement and the PUVMP.

The transport groups are also asking to return the five-year franchises of operators.

PISTON said that they have been battling the controversial PUVMP since 2017 and that they will not concede to the latest deadline set by the Marcos administration.

Transport groups said that the PUVMP is tantamount to a government-led jeepney phaseout.

Valbuena claimed that about 50 percent of operators who complied with the consolidation requirement since 2019 have actually withdrawn their applications while some operators who complied faced income losses or