SHOW OF FORCE: Transport coops in Iloilo City unite to oppose PUVMP suspension

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Mariela Angella Oladive

“Solutions, not suspension!”

Over 500 modernized jeepneys and some consolidated traditional jeepneys ceased operations for at least two hours on Monday, August 5, to protest the potential suspension of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Two lanes along Benigno Aquino Avenue (Diversion Road) in the Mandurriao district were filled by public utility vehicles (PUVs) participating in the “unity caravan” staged by the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations, Inc. (WVATCCI).

WVATCCI comprises 14 transport cooperative members with over 3,000 operators.

Leaders of the transport cooperatives warned that suspending the PUVMP could disrupt their operations.

“Currently, 80 percent of our jeepneys are modernized. We are urging for a solution, not a suspension. Over 600 employees rely on this program,” said a representative from the Metro Iloilo Transport Service Cooperative.

“If modernization is suspended in Iloilo, we risk losing 6 million pesos in salaries each month. We urge senators to reconsider their stance on the suspension,” he added.

The Iloilo Transport Cooperative (ITRANSCO) expressed strong support for the city’s modernization program, emphasizing its importance for progress and economic development.

“We want Iloilo to be modernized; this serves the transport sector and positively impacts tourism and our economy. This program should be supported and studied, not suspended,” an ITRANSCO spokesperson said.

Joyce from the Santa Barbara-Iloilo Transport Cooperative expressed frustration over the potential suspension, noting that their participation in the PUVMP involves significant risk and compliance efforts.

“We take the risk by participating in this program. We are only complying. We are the victims in this situation. The focus should not just be on political interests but on the needs of the public, employment, and the cooperatives involved,” she decried.

Perfecto Yap, a Board of Trustees member of the WVATCCI, said 1,681 out of 1,782 awarded units to the alliance have been modernized, with only 150 pending.

Before the unity caravan, the alliance signed a manifesto detailing the repercussions that the suspension would bring to the city’s transport sector.

WVATCCI stated that transport cooperatives have already invested P1.7 billion to comply with the PUVMP requirements.

They claimed the investment could generate employment for 3,405 individuals, five times higher than the previous traditional units.

WVATCCI believes the PUVMP could generate a total daily income of P1.7 billion or a monthly payroll of P44 million, feeding 20,430 individuals.

They argued that the full implementation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) is expected to generate a total investment of P4.45 billion, employment for 8,910 persons, a daily payroll of P4.45 million, and a monthly payroll of P116 million, feeding a total of 53,460 individuals.

With Iloilo City’s full implementation of its enhanced LPTRP in May, drivers and operators have gradually recovered and started paying their amortizations.

The alliance urged the government to exempt Iloilo City’s enhanced LPTRP implementation from the potential PUVMP suspension.

To ensure smooth traffic flow on the eight-lane highway, the Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) temporarily adjusted traffic lights along the caravan route and deployed traffic personnel to monitor the routes.

TTMO head Retired Col. Uldarico Garbanzos said while the 2-hour transport break for modernized jeepneys might cause minor disruptions for commuters, traditional jeepneys continued operations.

The Iloilo City Council recently passed a resolution calling for a review of the PUVMP.