Southern Tagalog commuters stranded as PUVs go on strike
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:51:00 07/25/2008
CALAMBA CITY – Thousands of commuters were stranded as drivers of public utility jeeps (PUJs) and tricycles went on strike in the Calabarzon region Thursday.
Rolando Mingo, head of the Southern Tagalog Transport Sector Organization (Starter), said the transport strike was successful in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area.
The strike, he said, was in protest of continued oil price increases that have eaten up drivers’ incomes.
Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, Calabarzon police regional director, said that as of 10 a.m., 40 percent of transport routes were paralyzed in the Calamba to Canlubang route; 80 percent in the Calamba-Cabuyao-San Pedro route; 40 percent, Calamba-Los Baños-Sta. Cruz; 40 percent, Calamba to Tanauan City.
Senior Supt. Felipe Rojas Jr., Laguna police director, said 70 percent of public utility vehicles (PUVs), including buses and tricycles, joined the strike in Laguna.
Rojas said government vehicles were sent out to help stranded passengers.
Angry protesters pelted PUVs, forcing passengers to abandon their trips.
Rosanna Jardiolen, 17, was forced to cancel her trip to San Pablo City after protesters pelted with stones the PUJ that she was riding on.
Ashley Cañon, 20, was supposed to go to Sta. Cruz from Victoria town but also decided to postpone her trip for the same reason.
Arvin Carandang, a civic leader in San Pablo City, said that as of 9 a.m., PUJ and tricycle operations were paralyzed.
He said many people bound for Rizal, Nagcarlan and other parts of Calabarzon from San Pablo were stranded.
Maan Leopando, bank employee in Siniloan town, said PUJs and tricycles ferried passengers early in the day but went off the streets later.
The transport strike, however, was not felt in Lucena City as PUVs continued to ply their routes.
In Barangay Parian, Calamba City, police arrested two youth members of Bayan Muna and two tricycle drivers. They are now being held at the police station.
Three more members of Bayan Muna and Bayan-ST were being detained as of late Thursday afternoon.
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sto. Tomas, Batangas cancelled classes at around 10:30 a.m.
In San Fernando City, at least 20,000 members of the Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator sa Pilipinas (STOP) in Central Luzon are mounting a transport strike on Monday, July 28, when President Macapagal-Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address.
Rolando Catanghal, spokesperson of the regional chapter of STOP, said drivers would stop plying their routes in Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and portions of Pangasinan starting at 1 a.m. on Monday.
A study by STOP showed that oil prices increased by 170 percent since Ms Arroyo assumed office in January 2001. From P23 per liter, the price is now P58 a liter, rising at an average of P3 a week.
Catanghal said the current prices leave drivers in Central Luzon with maximum earnings of P150 after working 12-16 hours daily. Niña Catherine Calleja and Romulo O. Ponte, Inquirer Southern Luzon and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
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