Oil price hikes trigger calls for fare increase

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

An alliance of jeepney drivers’ and operators’ associations in Iloilo City on Wednesday confirmed that they petitioned the national government for a fare hike due to series of oil price spikes.

Oil prices surged by more than P1.00 per liter this week for diesel (P1.50), gasoline (P1.30), and kerosene (P1.45), according to a Philippine Star report.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Visayas Prevailing Retail Pump Price as of Oct. 5 indicated that fuel prices in Iloilo City ranged from P46.25 (diesel), P55.25 (gasoline with 91 octane rating), to P56.20 (gasoline with 95 octane rating).

Passi City has more expensive fuel according to the DOE report, with common fuel prices at P49.20 (diesel), P63.80 (gasoline with 91 octane rating), and P64.80 (gasoline with 95 octane rating), as of Oct. 5.

Transport groups have already called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to raise fares by as much as P3 because of fuel hikes, but Secretary Arturo Tugade has rejected these calls.

Tugade cited the recent P200-million “enTSUPERneur” program, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), to provide livelihood assistance to transport workers affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Boyet Parcon, president of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (ICLAJODA), confirmed to Aksyon Radyo Iloilo that their members signed a petition asking the DOTr to allow the fare hike.

Parcon said that other jeepney groups and transport service cooperatives in the city and province of Iloilo also joined the calls.

The transport leader said ICLAJODA members, as well as other transport leaders, are groaning because of escalating fuel prices.

Parcon said the more than P6 hike of fuel prices in the past weeks is adding more burden to drivers amid the pandemic.

“We’re not pushing for this if we didn’t go through the proper process. We consulted with other transport leaders, and they have stated that they can no longer bear the continuous price hikes. That is why we are doing this petition, and sending to Secretary Tugade at the DOTr,” Parcon said.

Parcon also laughed at the “enTSUPERneur” program and cast doubt on its effectivity, citing the delay in the release of payments to drivers under the pandemic-related Service Contracting Program (SCP).

Under the SCP, jeepney drivers would be paid by the DOTr to ferry frontliners and Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APOR) free of charge.

Payments from this program are remitted to their mobile payment accounts (for traditional jeepneys) or their cooperative’s bank accounts (for modernized jeepneys.

Parcon said only up to 30 percent of ICLAJODA drivers received their partial payment under the SCP. The remaining 70 percent have not received a cent.

Some drivers, according to Parcon, are still waiting for up to P48,000 in SCP payments.

“What we only know is service contracting, and our drivers are still standing by waiting [for payments]. Thousands of drivers applied for that program, and they only paid up to one-fourth and even that is still lacking. We think it’s funny that Secretary Tugade continues to announce certain benefits which haven’t been realized. We haven’t heard about [enTSUPERneur], what we’ve only heard is [Rep. Julienne Baronda] giving P5,000 per driver to the DOLE,” he stated.

He said that they will continue to meet with transport sector leaders in pushing for the fare hikes, and as well as other means and methods to adjust to the fuel price spikes.