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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
March 19, 2025 | 12:07pm
In this photo taken on April 5, 2024, jeepneys commute along a street in Manila.
AFP / Ted Aljibe, file
MANILA, Philippines — Public transportation group Manibela announced a three-day jeepney strike to protest what it claims are inaccurate consolidation numbers of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The group is opposing the allegedly inaccurate numbers for the public utility vehicle (PUV) consolidationa — a key factor in the government's push for public transport modernization.
Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena accused the LTFRB and its chairman, Teofilo Guadiz, of giving fictitious numbers not just to the public but to the president himself.
"Hindi sila pwede pagkatiwalaan at dapat lang sila sibakin ni DOTR Secretary Vince Dizon," Valbuena said in a press conference on Wednesday, March 19.
(They cannot be trusted and they should be fired by DOTR Vince Dizon.)
Valbuena also called on Guadiz and all the LTFRB regional directors should resign, saying that jeepney drivers are being pushed off the roads based on false date.The initial deadline for consolidation was set in 2023, however, drivers were given more time to consolidate in 2024.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. finally set his foot down in 2024, saying that no more extensions would be granted after.
"Sa Lunes (March 24), magkakasa kami ng nationwide transport strike. Tatlong araw ito," Valbuena said.
(On Monday, we will hold a nationwide transport strike. This will be three days.)
However, Valbuena said that the strike could happen as early as March 20.Manibela asked for
understanding from the public, saying that they are fighting for their livelihood.Valbuena's accusation against the LTFRB gained weight after Dizon himself admitted that the data provided by the agency appears to lack context.
In an interview with News5 on March 18, Dizon was asked for the government's latest data on jeepney consolidation.
Dizon said that he had a "lively" discussion with the LTFRB, which led him to learn that the data from the agency was lacking.
The LTFRB said that the consolidation numbers were already at 86%, but in reality, only half of those operators have had their consolidation approved.
"Ang approved palang ay hindi 86% kung hindi 43% palang," Dizon said.(What was approved was not 86% but just 43%.)
Dizon clarified that the 86% refers only to operators who have just submitted their requirements, not those officially approved.
"It has not even reached half in reality," Dizon said in Filipino.Given the data, Dizon said that the consolidation and implementation of the PUV modernization should not be rushed on a nationwide scale.
Why does this matter? A big part of the government's longstanding PUV modernization program is requiring jeepney drivers and operators to join a cooperative or a corporation.
However, this step alone has been difficult for many jeepney drivers, who said that joining a cooperative has been too costly for them.
Some jeepney cooperatives have also reported financial losses from consolidation. The PUV modernization program traces its origins all the way back to the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte. While many jeepney drivers agree with the program's goals of modernization, they have lamented the lack of government support.
