THE transport group leaders in Bacolod City expressed dismay after Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez allegedly failed to talk with them during the flag ceremony at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) ground on Monday morning, May 8.
Noli Rosales, secretary-general of Kilusang Mayo Unit (KMU) and member of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (Undoc), said several members of Undoc-Piston, Bacolod Alliance Commuter Operator Driver (Bacod), and Negros Bacolod Transport Coalition (NBTC) joined the strike and assembled at the BCGC grounds at about 6 a.m.
“We are expecting that our mayor will approach us after their flag ceremony at the BCGC, but we are dismayed because he did not come to us. It’s a walking distance, but he did not entertain us. He is the mayor of our city, so he should also listen to our appeals,” he said.
After delivering his speech for the city employees, he added that Benitez had left the area.
Moreover, Rosales also expressed his gratitude to Councilor Al Victor Espino, chairperson of the City Council committee on transportation, for accommodating their complaints.
Rosales said Espino held a dialogue at the BCGC grounds and cleared the position of the city government.
“It was cleared by Espino that the city government has nothing to do with the issuance of the provisional authority or franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Western Visayas,” he said.
He added that the LTFRB-Western Visayas was earlier pointing to the city government for their failure to issue the provisional authority.
“But now it is clear that the city government has nothing to do with it,” Rosales said.
He said they will submit their position papers to the Office of the Mayor, City Council, and Espino.
“We are hopeful that Espino will help our concern so we can get provisional authority,” he added.
Rosales noted that on May 11, they will hold a rally in LTFRB-Western Visayas to air their sentiments for not allowing them to secure provisional authority.
Undoc-Piston, Bacod and NBTC resumed their operations at about 10:45 a.m. Monday.
Lilian Sembrano, secretary-general of Bacod, said they are thankful for the effort of Espino in accommodating their complaints.
He said Espino assured their groups that he would assist them in LTFRB to check the status of the issuance of the provisional authority to the traditional jeepney.
“At least it was cleared that the city government has nothing to do with it and it’s the responsibility of the LTFRB,” he added.
Sembrano also expressed dismay after Benitez failed to talk with them outside the BCGC.
Sembrano said they earlier sent a letter to Benitez to discuss their concern, but they did not get an answer, so they decided to hold a transport strike.
“We need immediate action, but the mayor did not help us,” she said.
Sembrano disclosed that at least 85 percent of traditional jeepney drivers joined the strike.
The transport groups earlier asked the city officials to review and abolish City Ordinance (CO) No. 966, or the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) of Bacolod.
“Because of this ordinance, most of us failed to secure a provisional authority based on Memorandum Circular 23-17 because we still need an endorsement from the city so we will be given a franchise or provisional authority by the LTFRB,” Rosales said.
CO 966, authored by former councilor Dindo Ramos, was approved by the City Council in October 2021.
For his part, Benitez said the transport strike did not paralyze the operations in Bacolod City because some of the transport groups did not join the strike.
“Espino was the one who talked to them, and it’s only a small group, and it’s not the whole transport group here. So maybe they have a specific concern that needs to be addressed,” he said.
He added that they questioned the LPTRP, which is the council, so Espino can give them a specific answer as the committee on transportation.
The mayor stressed that he also called Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista yesterday and discussed the persons in-charge at the LTFRB as well as their arrangement for the issuance of the provisional authority for the traditional jeepneys.
“I called the attention of the secretary and mentioned that because of the change in leadership, it delayed the issuance of the provisionary authority for the traditional jeepney because of its new policy,” Benitez said.
He said Bautista also assured him that he would call the board to solve the problem.
He added that the operation of modernized jeepneys in Bacolod is still insufficient, and the city still needs the operation of traditional jeepneys.
The mayor noted that about 50 percent of the modernized jeepneys are now operating in various areas of the city, and they're expected to be 100 percent operational by December 2023.
Moreover, Espino said the groups were misdirected because it was the LTFRB that issued the provisional permit and not the city government.
He said that after the dialog, he reported the development to Mayor Benitez, then called Bautista.
He added that on May 11, the groups will hold a rally in LTFRB-Western Visayas, and he will assist them since it’s the right place to air their sentiments.
Espino stressed that the LPTRB will not cure the problem because the jeepney modernization program will go on, and it’s the program of the LTFRB.
He said based on CO 966, the city has a total of 26 routes, which were approved by the LTFRB for the modernized jeepneys, and there’s a possibility that the city will amend it for an additional route for the city.*