Classes suspended in select Luzon areas on Monday due to transport strike
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe on Saturday urged transport groups to “reconsider” their planned nationwide strike next week as she called for an “urgent” Senate probe into the government’s jeepney modernization program.
On Tuesday, major transport groups No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition and Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide or PISTON announced they would hold a nationwide coordinated jeepney strike on December 4 to 5 (Monday to Tuesday.)
This is the second two-day transport strike organized by PISTON.
In a statement, Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public services, asked transport groups to call off their planned protest and instead sit down with senators to air their concerns over the modernization program.
She said she would file a resolution on Monday in order to conduct a hearing on Thursday “that will address these issues of public utility vehicle drivers and operators alike.”
“I understand that certain issues in the modernization program still need to be carefully studied and threshed out with the concerned government agencies,” Poe said.
“We hope this can be done during the committee hearing. We also want to hear the alternative proposals from different stakeholders,” she added.
The last transport strike was staged last October where thousands of commuters got stranded.
In anticipation of demonstrations next week, classes in all levels at both public and private schools in the following provinces will be suspended on Monday, December 4:
- Albay (Except schools located in the islands and far-flung areas where suspension will be determined by their respective school authorities)
- Guagua, Pampanga (until Tuesday, December 5)
- Camarines Sur
For decades, the iconic post-war era jeepneys have provided cheap and regular transport for millions.
Citing pollution and safety concerns, the government, however, is planning to phase out the venerable open-air minibuses aged 15 years or older and replace them with a more environment-friendly version.
The government admits the plan will be hard to implement, with critics questioning the cost of the rehabilitation program, and many poor drivers and owners saying they can’t afford to take on new loans to buy new vehicles.
EXPLAINER: Why some transport groups oppose jeepney phaseout
“Their problems are not theirs alone, but that of the entire nation that depends on the kind of public transportation they offer,” Poe said.
“Let us sit down and talk, and find ways to move forward with solutions that are socially just and feasible,” she added.
The Department of Transportation on Wednesday warned public utility vehicles operators and drivers that their franchises and licenses might be revoked should they participate in the two-day transport strike next week.
Malacañang also said jeepney operators who will join the strike might face “legal consequences.”
READ: DOTr orders to cancel franchises, licenses of those joining transport strike