Life in the time of stagflation: The lived realities of people on strike

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By Juliane Judilla

The jeepney has long been called the “king of the road,” a symbol of public transport that keeps people and livelihoods moving in cities like Iloilo.

For jeepney drivers in Iloilo City, however, the recent spike in fuel prices has turned that daily movement into a struggle between earning enough for their families and keeping their units on the road.

As March began, fuel prices rose sharply, which transport groups linked to the conflict in West Asia and to domestic pricing policies that they said worsened the burden on drivers.

On March 26, hundreds of drivers, operators, and commuters joined a people’s strike at five locations in Iloilo City: Tagbak Terminal, the Ungka ITGSI Terminal, Infante Flyover, in front of Mandurriao Elementary School, and the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.

The groups leading the strike included the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition Panay, Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide Panay, Negros Panay United, and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.

Their demands centered on urgent reforms in the oil and transport sectors.

At the forefront was the call to repeal Republic Act No. 8479, or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.

Transport groups also opposed compulsory consolidation, a key step in the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program that requires operators and drivers to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations.

They also called for a stronger government role in the oil industry, including returning Petron to state control, adopting a centralized oil procurement system, and removing the 12% value-added tax and excise taxes on petroleum products.

For Vicente Madero, a jeepney driver for 35 years on the Villa Arevalo–Baybay route, joining the strike was a sacrifice he believed was necessary to make their demands heard.

“Tungod sa pag saka sang gatong ta kag ang amon kinitaan sakto lang sa gatong kag wala na kami sang may ginadala puli, kung may ara man mga 100 lang te kulang gani sa bugas kag sud-an lang mabakal. Amo na nga nag-join kami diri,” he said.

(Because of the increase in fuel prices, what we earn only covers fuel expenses, and we no longer bring anything home. If there is any, it’s only around PHP 100, which isn’t even enough to buy rice and viand. That’s why we joined the strike.)

Jhenmark Geronda, 29, who has driven the Molo–Timawa route for three years, said rising oil prices had taken a significant toll on drivers because fuel costs directly cut into their daily earnings.

He said he joined the strike to call for a rollback that would bring fuel prices down to PHP 55.

“Tani ibalik ang presyo sang krudo para maka ginansya man kami maski gamay lang kag maski ma sustenar lang sa mga kinahanglanon sa sulod balay,” Geronda said.

(We hope fuel prices will be brought down so we can earn even a small profit and at least sustain our household’s basic needs.)

The effects of rising fuel prices have also reached drivers’ families, who are absorbing the pressure of tighter household budgets.

Josie Martinez, the wife of jeepney driver Alberto Martinez, said the family had been forced to budget carefully to keep food on the table and provide for their 2-year-old child.

“Sa subong gina una namon magbakal lang gid sang kalan-on kay hindi na kaigo ang kita sa pang adlaw-adlaw,” Martinez said.

(For now, we prioritize buying food because our income is no longer enough for daily needs.)

She said joining the strike was not only a way to support her husband’s demands but also an act of defiance by a mother trying to keep her household afloat.

For the drivers, the strike was more than a disruption in service.

It was a protest against conditions they said were making survival harder for the workers who keep the city moving.