CEBU’S transport sector was disrupted for the second time in a week on Friday, March 27, 2026, as drivers staged another transport strike, leaving commuters with longer travel times and fewer options.
Piston Cebu claimed the protest caused widespread disruption across key routes in Cebu City, but the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) disputed the extent of the impact.
CCTO legal officer Kent Francesco Jongoy said the strike did not significantly affect the volume of public utility vehicles (PUVs) at major intersections during peak hours.
“Earlier during the peak hours (6 to 9 a.m.), we haven’t seen significant changes in the volume of PUVs in key intersections,” Jongoy said in a Friday afternoon statement.
Piston Cebu, however, reported a 60 to 70 percent disruption based on posts on its Facebook page. The group said both modern public utility vehicles (MPUV) and traditional public utility jeepneys (TPUJ) joined the strike, citing a 7:30 a.m. assessment on Friday, March 27.
The protest ran from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Piston Cebu said it disrupted early peak-hour travel along major routes, leaving commuters with limited transportation options. The action marked the second transport strike in Cebu in a week, following a similar protest held on March 19.
According to the group, several routes were heavily affected. Forty-six MPUVs joined the protest at the Tintay Terminal in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City. The Tintay-Colon, Pit-os-Carbon and Talamban-Mandaue routes recorded a 70 percent paralysis among TPUJs. Guadalupe routes—06B, 06H, 06A, 06F and 06G—saw a 90 percent disruption, while Lahug route 04L reported a 20 percent paralysis.
Disruption along Mabolo routes 03A, 03B and 03L initially stood at 20 percent, with organizers expecting it to reach 50 percent. The Parkmall-Urgello route (01K) experienced an 80 percent paralysis, with more than 70 MPUVs joining the strike.
Not impacted
Jongoy challenged the claims of paralyzed routes, reiterating that CCTO monitoring showed minimal changes in PUV volume compared with days without a transport strike. Monitoring remained ongoing as of 5 p.m. Friday, he said.
CCTO data showed little difference in traffic flow during the strike period.
Commuters in Mandaue City were largely unaffected, according to Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) head Hyll Retuya.
In a phone interview with SunStar Cebu, Retuya said the City Government’s ongoing Libreng Sakay program helped residents commute without disruptions. Team personnel were deployed across the city to assist passengers and ensure transport services continued despite limited public transport operations.
“So far the strike has not really affected our commuters,” Retuya said.
Driver struggles
Piston Cebu president Greg Perez said many jeepney drivers continue to struggle as rising fuel prices and fixed operating costs cut deeply into their earnings.
“Daghan na ang niapil, dili lang Piston. Kay dili na gyud sila kaigo sa ilang kita (Many have already joined, not just Piston members, because their income is no longer enough to meet their needs),” Perez said.
Perez said drivers often spend up to 16 hours on the road but end the day with little take-home income. Fuel expenses have doubled, rising from about P2,000 to P3,000, while fares remain unchanged.
Drivers must also pay the “boundary,” a fixed daily fee collected by operators, which further reduces their income, he said.
Commuter impact
Despite official claims of minimal disruption, commuters reported delays in some areas.
Passengers bound for Cebu City formed long queues at the Parkmall Terminal as early as 7:15 a.m., while fewer jeepneys plied routes near the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Fuente station.
SunStar Cebu writer Bryce Ken Abellon, 25, said he waited nearly an hour for a ride from 8:20 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. along Isuya, Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City.
He stood during the trip to Parkmall, a contrast to his usual commute when he typically finds a seat.
“On regular days, I only wait about five minutes and I can sit right away,” he said.
Abellon said his usual one-hour-and-20-minute commute stretched to two hours during the strike, affecting his productivity.
“The impact on me personally is significant because waiting for a ride is such a waste of time. Instead of being productive at work, my time is spent just waiting or navigating the commute in the city,” he said.
He acknowledged that rising fuel costs also burden drivers.
“Dili ta ka blame but both affected gyud (No one can really be blamed, but both sides are truly affected),” he said.
Calls for reform
Piston Cebu criticized the P5,000 fuel subsidy from the National Government, saying it no longer reflects current market conditions. The group said the subsidy was computed when fuel prices ranged from P45 to P50 per liter.
The group reiterated its demands, which include removing fuel excise taxes and value-added tax, implementing wage increases, adjusting fares and abolishing Republic Act 8479, or the Downstream Oil Industry Deregulation Act of 1998.
Perez warned that more drivers would stop operating without government intervention.
“Kung padayon ni, daghan na ang mohunong. Lisod na kaayo ang kahimtang sa drayber karon (If this continues, many will stop operating. The situation of drivers is becoming very difficult),” he said. / CDF, EHP, ABC