Transport groups set strike anew

MANILA, Philippines — Manibela and other transport groups will stage a three-day transport strike from Aug. 10 to 12 to urge the government to grant a provisional fare increase as fuel prices continue to climb.

The group made the announcement after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board heard the fare increase petitions yesterday.

According to the LTFRB, it will send a recommendation for an interim fare hike to Malacañang this week.

“The oil price hike has made us suffer for a long time. A fare increase would have been the answer, but we could not get it today,” Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena lamented.

While there is a price rollback of P0.73 for gasoline and P0.60 for diesel this week, Manibela said this is not enough to offset the huge pump price increases in previous weeks.

Valbuena highlighted that a large portion of their income often goes to more than P85 to P95 per liter of diesel, maintenance, boundary payments and other operating expenses, resulting in some drivers going into debt.

“When oil companies increase pump prices, they show no transparent computation nor public hearing. Meanwhile, for us, we have to protest for a P1 to P2 fare hike petition,” the transport leader stressed.

Valbuena said the fare hikes are not meant to burden Filipino commuters but to help jeepney drivers continue plying their routes amid worsening economic conditions.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin announced today’s rollback, which will also see a P2.09 per liter reduction in kerosene prices.

“I know that many of you are still feeling the weight of the past week’s increases, but every rollback matters. It means a little less pressure on our drivers, farmers and small businesses that move this economy every single day,” Garin told a press briefing yesterday.

The latest rollback comes after domestic pump prices climbed sharply in recent weeks amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.

For July alone, gasoline, diesel and kerosene posted cumulative net increases of more than P13, P26 and P21 per liter, respectively.

The sharp run-up pushed gasoline and diesel prices in Metro Manila and highly urbanized cities back above the P100-per-liter mark. — Brix Lelis, EJ Macababbad

• Latest
• Trending