The two-day transport strike called by unionized transport groups Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) and Manibela in defiance of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), which took effect in 2020, ended with laughable results.
Indeed, despite the solidarity protest campaigns, mostly from student groups, including marches and sit-ins, Piston and Manibela only managed to slow down traffic flows in a few areas in Metro Manila, which only enraged commuters and motorists.
Independent monitoring by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and local government units (LGUs), even during rush hours, have found no critical areas in need of rescue buses or stranded commuters.
Traffic flow was smooth, and commuters were able to get to and from work and school. No long queues were reported. The Department of Transportation (DoTr) undersecretary for road transport and infrastructure, Jesus Ferdinand Ortega, best described the two-day strike: "This is not a successful strike."
He added, "Only a handful of PUV drivers and operators joined them nationwide. In the NCR
(National Capital Region), more could have joined them, but we are on top of the situation."
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said it had not monitored any untoward incident during the transport strike. PNP spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo, said the situation, especially in the streets of Metro Manila, is normal. "I've spoken to personnel of the NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office), and they said they have not monitored any stranded commuters," she said and added that the PNP noted that several striking drivers converged at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City and blocked roadways resulting to massive traffic jam in their effort to create the impression their mass action was a success.
Piston and Manibela called the jeepney strike on April 15 and 16 to pre-empt President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s April 30 extension of the deadline for the franchise consolidation of public utility vehicles.
However, Marcos, after countless extensions of the consolidation date, declared early this month during the Bagong Pilipinas Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Concerns that he would no longer extend the already overly extended deadline.
"No more extensions; we really need that already," Marcos said. "We have to make sure that the drivers and operators will not be burdened with the payment and loan, so we are making the system well organized."
Data released by LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III showed that 80 percent of the estimated more than 250,000 PUVs nationwide have completed their consolidation process, with nearly 96 percent of active jeepneys in the National Capital Region have consolidated. Adding the non-active jeepney in Metro Manila will decrease the numbers to around 56 percent, Guadiz said.
Understanding the modernization costs
The PUVMP requires replacing old, dilapidated jeepneys with more modern, eco-friendly vehicles following safety and performance standards set by the DoTr and the Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS). Under the rules, operators must consolidate into cooperatives that operate at least 15 jeepneys each.
Jeepneys that meet "Class 2" specifications cost around P1.6 million to P3 million per unit for a fully electric vehicle. Operators must also have their own parking space or a terminal as their base of operations.
Additionally, forming a cooperative requires capitalization and organizational paperwork. Loans have high-interest rates, requiring coops to have solid financial and business plans to secure money from the bank.
However, many small operators need more experience with this process. The combined expenses make acquisition daunting without financial assistance.
Declining left influence
The failure of the two-day transport strike called by the left-wing-influenced Piston and Manibela highlights the declining influence of left-wing forces in the Philippines as evidenced by their failure to secure electoral victories in national elections (except in the party-list sector).
However, the contribution to this decline is not confined to public support but also to ideological positioning. Unfortunately for the Left, Communism isn't sexy anymore for the Millenials and the Gen-Zs. The social media platform seemed sufficient for them to vent their aggressiveness and angst.
Fundamentally, the decline of the Left may be because left-wing ideology no longer shapes political conflict or informs public policies.