Philippines jeepney strike raises concerns about domestic modernization

MANILA, Philippines - Nearly 100,000 jeepney drivers in the Philippines have ended a strike over a government plan to phase out one of the country's most ubiquitous but polluting forms of public transportation, amid hopes the initiative will change  Will go.

Transport unions Pistone and Manibela launched the action on March 6, prompting schools in Metro Manila and several other areas to switch to online teaching and other businesses to work from home.

Jeepneys, which originated at the end of World War II when enterprising Filipinos converted old jeeps abandoned by the United States military into public minibuses capable of carrying up to 25 people at a time, are popular today as commuters. The cheapest and most common form of transportation. Country.

Roads in Manila were noticeably quiet as Piston announced that 90 percent of jeepney routes in the capital had been suspended. The situation was similar elsewhere in the country.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which oversees the government scheme, underestimated the impact of the strike. However, on Tuesday the union leaders were called to Rashtrapati Bhavan for a closed-door meeting.

Speaking on Wednesday, Manibela president Mar Valbuena said the drivers "will stand by the statement of our beloved President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. that the administration will study and revise (the plan) to maintain the livelihoods of drivers and operators. is ready".

At issue is the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP), which was first announced in 2017 and involves replacing diesel-based jeepneys 15 or more years old with newer, cleaner minibuses, as well as incorporating operators and drivers into cooperatives Is included.

The LTFRB initially announced that April 1 would be the "last trip" for older vehicles, but amid strong opposition from transportation groups, it extended the deadline to June and eventually to December 31. After that, jeepneys that have not complied with the PUVMP will be banned.

"If you just change the date the hanging is still a hanging," Pistons chairperson Modesto Florenda told Al Jazeera. “The government is taking away our livelihood.”

'King of the Road'

Jeepneys are called 'kings of the roads' and their drivers work through franchises based on operating licenses granted by the government.

A franchise holder usually owns at least one jeepney and often employs several drivers who drive routes in shifts. Under the PUVMP, drivers and owners will have to form a cooperative society, which government officials say will improve efficiency.

According to the LTFRB, there are about 158,000 traditional jeepneys in the country, while 5,300 modern jeepneys with air conditioning and security cameras are already on the road.

Transport union Piston says the cost of modernization is too high.

Drivers need to bear the cost of up to 2.8 million Philippine pesos ($50,800) to replace their vehicles and will need at least 15 vehicles to start the cooperative. Meanwhile, the government is offering only 5.7 per cent subsidy on each new vehicle and many drivers fear they will lose their livelihood unit.

“Who wouldn't want a more efficient and comfortable vehicle? We barely earn enough to survive. We would like modernization that meets the needs of the transport sector. But it is modernization that promotes big business and is also a curse for the visiting public,” Floranda said.

Floranda says more expensive jeepney models will inevitably lead drivers to increase fares so they can pay off loans and other operating expenses.

A recent study by the University of the Philippines estimated that the minimum jeepney fare could increase by 300 percent as a result of the PUVMP.

The study warned about two "'blind sides'": the high per unit price of modern jeepneys and the domino effect of potential jeepney fare increases to cover the cost of purchasing modern jeepney units".

It said fare increases would likely increase the cost of living as food and other necessities would become more expensive to carry.

Jeepney drivers participating in the strike have labeled the program a "corporate takeover" because modernized jeepneys mean partnering with foreign carmakers such as Hino Toyota, Hyundai and Fuso Mitsubishi.

struggle for survival

A few days before the strike, jeepney driver Junie Bendoy commuted his route for 16 hours instead of the usual 12 hours to ensure he had enough money to see industrial action.

Bendoy, vice president of the Novaliches Transport Coalition, one of the largest in Metro Manila, called his extra hours a "necessary sacrifice."

“Why are they forcing us into an impossible situation?”  Bendoy said. “We have suffered a lot, they are leaving no stone unturned to make our lives difficult.”

Drivers say they received barely any help from the government during the pandemic, when jeepneys were banned from the roads for more than a year, along with fuel prices that continued to rise.

“And now we have to deal with the phase-out.  We don't have any days off. We keep our eyes open because as soon as we close them, our jeepney could be taken away from us,” Bendoy told Al Jazeera.

On average, the Bendoys bring home $3.6 per day after expenses, not enough to save for modernization, which they say will "bury us in debt".

Nick Ventura, 43, an official with the Novaliches-Blumentrit Operators and Drivers Association, declined to join a franchise cooperative when he moved back to the Philippines after working as a driver in Qatar.

“I came back to the country because I was told there was a better program for us drivers. But I couldn't afford the downpayment. I couldn't even wait seven months for the new unit to arrive. And I didn't think the daily limit of 2,500 Philippine pesos ($45) was acceptable. This would mean that I would have to work almost 24 hours a day to take home a good amount of money,'' he said.

Drivers currently pay a quota fee or "limit" to the jeepney owner so that they can drive the vehicle.  For Ventura, this fee is $9. While drivers do not receive a salary, they keep whatever is left after paying for quota and fuel.

Under the new system, they will be paid a daily wage, but depending on the route, they will still have to pay a quota. Pistone says drivers are reluctant to join the system because wages will be low while quotas will be high.

For the presidential election in 2022, then-candidate Marcos Jr. promised that he would support the interests of drivers by winning their support for his campaign.

Now that he is in office, some people feel that he has been misled.

 “He broke his promise. They told us that as long as our vehicles pass emissions tests, we will be able to provide public service,” Ventura said.

Before the strike, Marcos told reporters that although he still favored modernization, he did not think it was "being implemented well".

He also appealed to Piston and Manibella to reconsider in the interest of passengers. "More people will suffer because they won't be able to go to work," he said.

Meanwhile, steps are being taken in the Upper House on the proposal to postpone the phased schemes.

Senator Grace Poe, who is leading the proposal, said, "The LTFRB should not force PUV operators to follow its guidelines without taking into account the concerns of the sector, especially the high capital cost of acquiring modern jeepneys."

Following the presidential meeting, Marcos Jr. directed officials to revisit the plan with an emphasis on "ensuring better implementation of the PUVMP and focusing the program specifically on drivers, operators, and passengers."