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Josiah Antonio - The Philippine Star
April 15, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Transport groups Manibela and Piston are staging another series of strikes following the launching of the service contracting program.
Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena expressed his disappointment that only a few public utility vehicle drivers and operators will be part of the program.
Around 1,000 transport operators and 50,000 PUV units will be included nationwide.
“This program is not beneficial as only a few drivers and operators will be included,” Valbuena told The STAR.
While the government is working on an additional budget of P5 billion to expand the program, Valbuena deemed the program ineffective due to unpaid fees during Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency.
“The government will just waste it and transport groups will not benefit. Many are now demanding that they be paid the fees from the previous administration, but they have not been paid yet,” Valbuena said.
“We will repeat a program that will not pay all those who will participate in the service contracting program,” he added.
For his part, Piston president Mody Floranda said the government should focus on the removal of fuel taxes.
“If the service contract would last even for 90 days, if fuel prices continue to increase, this is just a band-aid solution,” he told The STAR.
Beyond taxes, Valbuena highlighted the need to roll back fuel prices to P55.
Transport groups will be holding protests along with other sectors for their three-day strike.
Students from various state universities and colleges will be staging walkouts, joined by other commuters’ groups, such as PARA Commuters’ Network.
Security
The Philippine National Police is beefing up operations as transport groups begin their three-day nationwide strike today.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered commanders to prepare mobility assets that can provide free rides to commuters.
The Highway Patrol Group will deploy 501 police officers to secure thoroughfares.
Free rides
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the government will provide free rides to commuters.
Lopez said he asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to identify routes that would be affected by the strike set for April 15 to 17.
Valbuena earlier said at least 500,000 PUV operators and drivers will join the strike, including units from the Visayas and Mindanao.
Lopez said he hopes to include all PUVs in the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s net service contracting program.
The agency has requested an additional P5-billion budget for the program that is expected to benefit 15 million daily passengers.
The current P800-million budget will only last for two to three weeks, Lopez said.
Fuel discount
The Department of Energy (DOE) has directed all legitimate gas stations to participate in the government’s fuel discount program, which was rolled out yesterday.
The program, which offers a P10-per-liter discount for PUVs, is part of initiatives to lessen the impact of soaring fuel prices on vulnerable groups. The first phase covers jeepney and UV Express units.
Lopez said the program is expected to benefit over 171,000 PUV units nationwide once fully rolled out.
In Metro Manila, PUV operators can avail themselves of the fuel subsidy at 52 gasoline stations.
Landbank provided a digital end-to-end solution to enable the subsidy and make sure it is easy and convenient, said Landbank president and chief executive officer Lynette Ortiz.
The subsidy can be availed of using Landbank’s mobile banking app.
“You put in the station code, you put in the plate number of the vehicle and the subsidy will then be applied,” Ortiz explained.
Acknowledging that not all PUV drivers are tech-savvy, energy chief Sharon Garin said PUV drivers must bring their registered vehicles when availing themselves of the fuel discount as verification would be based on the vehicle’s plate number. — Emmanuel Tupas, Neil Jayson Servallos, Helen Flores
