LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Jeepneys went on strike in the Bicol provinces and in Laguna on Monday to protest increases in oil prices and traffic fines.

Tessa Lopez of Bayan-Albay who spoke for the Condor-Piston-Bicol during a rally held in front of the Petron gasoline station in Daraga town, said 90 percent of the public jeepneys in Albay took part in the strike. She added that all jeepneys in Sorsogon and 98 percent of public transport in Camarines Norte also joined the strike.

Classes in all levels in Albay were suspended but private and government offices, banks, malls and other commercial establishments remained open despite the lack of public transport.

Buses plying the Legazpi-Manila route continued their usual operations.

Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda immediately deployed military and government vehicles to ferry stranded commuters.

In Sorsogon, while the jeepneys did not ply their routes, colorum tricycles provided transportation to commuters.

Jenelyn Nagrampa, secretary general of Bicol-Gabriela, a group that supported the strike, had the same reports but she conceded that the jeepneys in Naga City did not support the strike.

Lopez said only 30 percent of all public jeepneys in Camarines Sur joined the strike.

Transport groups in Laguna set up various “checkpoints” in the province in support of the national transport holiday.

Alex Balayan, vice president of the Southern Tagalog Region Transport Sector Organization (Starter), said in a phone interview, that as of 10 a.m., 90 percent of all public jeepneys and 70 percent of all tricycles at the Calamba City terminal had joined the strike.

He also reported that all public jeepneys in Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa City, Biñan, and San Pedro towns also joined the strike.

No transport strikes were reported in the provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate.