Coalition calls strike to protest rising oil prices

By Juliane Judilla

Transport and commuter groups announced Tuesday, April 14, that they will stage a “Transport and People’s Strike” on April 21 in response to a nationwide call to protest the continued rise in fuel prices.

The announcement was made during a press conference led by the No To Oil Price Hike Coalition, a broad alliance of cooperatives, transport associations, and commuter and religious groups.

The strike will be carried out in multiple centers across Iloilo province, with additional hubs being organized in towns outside Iloilo City.

The groups argued that ordinary citizens should not bear the full burden of rising costs, pointing out that workers’ wages have remained stagnant even as the prices of goods and services continue to climb.

Consumers and the general public are increasingly struggling to cope with the ongoing economic crisis, they said.

“Kung nabatyagan naton sobra na isa ka bulan nag umpisa saka nga saka ang presyo sang krudo, mabatyagan man naton nga sobra na isa ka bulan nga naga gutom nga naga gutom na ang pamilya sang transport [workers],” said jeepney operator Eduardo Gimong.

(If we have felt that for over a month now oil prices have kept increasing, we can also feel that for over a month, transport workers’ families have been going hungry.)

Gimong noted that while jeepney drivers continue to suffer, the government remains complacent in addressing their demands.

Instead, he said, authorities favor large oil cartels that effectively dictate fuel prices, prompting calls to scrap Republic Act 8479, also known as the Oil Deregulation Law.

“Daw ang oil cartel pa ya ang naga gobyerno kaysa sa aton gobyerno,” he said.

(It’s as if the oil cartels are the ones governing instead of our government.)

“Supposed to be ang gobyerno ya ang naga dikta sa oil cartels, kay karon mapinagusto na ya ang mga cartels pataas sang presyo kay negosyo na ya nila mung,” he added.

(The government is supposed to regulate the oil cartels, but now the cartels can raise prices as they please because it’s purely business for them.)

Jaro Archdiocese Social Action Center Director Msgr. Meliton Oso also called for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, stating that since its enactment, the law has caused significant hardship.

He noted that even during the administration of former President Fidel V. Ramos, the law sparked protests similar to those seen today under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“[We need] more voices for peace,” Msgr. Oso said.

“More voices to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law, more voices to nationalize the oil industry,” he added.

Willy Orciada of Panay Negros United criticized what he described as the government’s “band-aid” solutions.

“Ang gobyerno daw kadali lang maghambal nga pataason ang pamasahe, pwede, pero wala nila gina isip ang pumuluyo nga pigado, gani before sila magpasaka pamasahe, unahon nila pasakaan ang sweldo,” Orciada said.

(The government finds it easy to say fares should be increased, but they do not consider the poor. Before raising fares, wages should be increased first.)

“Kag isa pa, ang ining gina hambal nila nga subsidy, tapal butas ini,” he added, comparing government subsidies to temporary fixes — short-term responses to problems that require long-term solutions.

For Edrito Castillo, chairperson of the San Miguel Owners and Drivers Association Inc., the participation of drivers and operators from areas outside the city demonstrates the strength and unity of the transport sector across the entire province of Iloilo.

Castillo added that SAMODA has long provided scholarships to students and funeral services to residents of San Miguel, Iloilo.

However, with the continued rise in fuel prices, they may soon struggle to sustain these community programs, he said.

“Naga upod gid kami, kay ang transportasyon, amo ini ang naga buhi sa aton nga komunidad,” Castillo said.

(We are truly united, because transportation is what sustains our community.)

Youth and commuter groups likewise expressed support for the initiative.

Samantha Herbolario of Anakbayan Panay and the Panay Consumers Alliance emphasized that the concerns of transport operators and drivers are shared by commuters and consumers alike.

Herbolario reiterated their call for government accountability and urged unity among the public in demanding adequate support.

The groups said their protest actions will continue as long as their demands remain unaddressed.