PROGRESSIVE groups in Davao City protested on Monday, March 6, 2023 at the Freedom Park in Roxas Avenue in solidarity with the national transport strike of the transportation sector to challenge the proposed jeepney phaseout.
The groups called to junk the Department Order 2017-011 Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the related memorandum circulars from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which aims to consolidate the franchises of public utility vehicles (PUV) under a management system or cooperative.
“It impairs drivers and operators being compelled into consolidating their franchise with capitalists for the privatization of the public utilities and services,” Anakbayan-SMR said in a statement.
Representative Claudine Bautista Lim of the Dumper PTDA Party-List clarified that traditional jeepneys will not be phased out by December 31 of this year. Rather, it is the extension of the deadline for drivers and operators to join cooperatives.
“The deadline set is for operators and drivers to either form or join cooperatives or incorporate themselves into collective juridical entities... Initial discussions with DOTR were to set up one-stop-shops or conduct assistance caravans to streamline the consolidation process,” Bautista-Lim said in a statement on March 4.
However, progressive groups said extending the deadline is not enough. They appeal to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to scrap the OFG and prioritize rehabilitating jeepneys as well as provide proper government aid amid lack of preparations under the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP).
Along with Anakbayan-SMR, other groups that joined the demonstration at Freedom Park were Transmission Piston and Kilusang Mayo Uno.
Beginning March 6, transport groups and other concerned organizations under the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition led the week-long national transport strike which is currently ongoing in Metro Manila.
“Ang laban ng mga tsuper at maliliit na operator ay laban din ng taumbayan (The fight of jeepney drivers and operators is also the fight of the masses) . Kung wala nang prangkisa ang mga operator ay mawawalan sila kabuhayan. Kung mangyari iyon, wala ring maipapasadang mga jeepney ang mga tsuper (Without the franchises of the operators, they will lose their livelihood and there will be no jeepneys for the commuting public),” the Coalition said.
They added that the minimum fare may reach P35 to P40 for modern jeepneys and PUVs in order for operators and drivers to be able to pay for the loaned modernized units mandated under the PUVMP.
The groups also stressed modern units under the program are expensive and cost over a million pesos.
The PUVMP is applicable in Davao Region but Davao City also has its own modernization program underway called the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project.