Jeepney strike Monday in Iloilo City, free rides offered

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

With nearly 2,000 traditional jeepneys and modernized minibuses set to go off the roads, Iloilo City commuters are bracing for long queues, limited rides, and disrupted routines as transport cooperatives stage a transport holiday on Monday, March 23.

Member transport cooperatives of the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations Inc. will suspend operations in a one-day strike to protest rising fuel costs and delayed fare increases.

An estimated 1,782 modernized and traditional jeepneys are expected to join the activity, the alliance announced Saturday, March 20.

Member groups of the alliance operate major routes within the city and nearby towns, including border areas ferrying passengers to Iloilo City.

WVATCCI President Sherry Rose Songano said the protest aims to press government agencies to immediately implement fare adjustments and extend financial assistance to the struggling transport sector.

On Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of the scheduled jeepney fare increase a day before its implementation.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board had earlier approved provisional fare increases to help transport operators cope with rising fuel costs, making the presidential suspension a reversal of a regulatory decision already in effect.

The deferred increase would have raised the minimum fare for modern jeepneys by PHP 2 to PHP 17, while traditional jeepneys were set to add PHP 1, bringing the base fare to PHP 14 for the first four kilometers.

“This decision is not a matter of choice, but an unavoidable measure taken to prevent the total financial collapse of our industry, the public utility jeepneys,” Songano said.

She said that from Feb. 28 to March 21, their members absorbed continuous and staggered increases in fuel prices.

The transport sector has tried to maintain uninterrupted public transport services despite the rising cost of diesel, which has now exceeded PHP 110 per liter.

Diesel prices in the Philippines have risen for 11 consecutive weeks, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East that have disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.

However, without a corresponding fare increase, operators said their earnings are no longer enough to cover fuel expenses alone.

Cooperatives are also struggling to pay monthly amortizations on modernized jeepneys and other operational costs, such as maintenance.

The Western Visayas Transport Cooperative, for instance, is losing up to PHP 100,000 daily as fuel prices have continued to climb over the past three weeks, leaving many drivers struggling to provide for their families.

Songano warned that without immediate government action, the crisis facing jeepney operators and drivers could worsen, affecting not only commuters but also thousands of families dependent on the transport industry.

“If this is the current fare and price of fuel, we are not earning if we operate. If left unaddressed, this situation will inevitably result in the total collapse of our operations. An outcome that will adversely affect not only the riding public but also the thousands of employees and families whose livelihoods depend on the transport industry,” she said.

She said the transport holiday is not intended to inconvenience the public but is “a necessary and urgent measure to safeguard the survival of the transport sector.”

To cushion the impact, the Iloilo City government will roll out a “Libreng Sakay” program using government buses and service vehicles.

Free rides will be available from key jump-off points, including Arevalo Plaza, Mandurriao Plaza, and Jaro Plaza, serving routes to and from Plaza Libertad.

Vehicles will begin trips at 6 a.m. and operate until 10 a.m., with afternoon trips resuming from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Private vehicle owners are also encouraged to offer carpooling to help ease the impact on commuters.

Face-to-face classes at all levels in Iloilo City have been suspended for the day.

The Iloilo provincial government will also deploy service vehicles with designated pickup points at Mohon, Ungka, and Tagbak terminals starting at 6 a.m.