Manila to pay for free jeepney rides  

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno — INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — The city of Manila will subsidize the operations of jeepney drivers, giving them around P3,000 each per day for providing free rides to commuters in the city, Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso announced Friday.

According to Domagoso, more than 1,400 jeepney drivers are expected to participate in the program, which is part of the implementation of the mayor’s Executive Order No. 14, series of 2026, that “mandates economic assistance for the transport sector amid rising fuel costs.”

The initiative will initially run for five days across two weeks: Monday and Tuesday of the first week, and Monday to Wednesday of the following week.

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Possible extension

Domagoso said it is possible to extend the program, depending on the available funds.

“I will borrow the jeepneys and drivers. Guaranteed payment every day. The operator will make money, the driver will make money. Guaranteed earnings, I will make sure of it,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.

“The gas station and those doing business in Manila will make money, and above all, our passengers will not have to pay anything if the jeepney they drive is a member of the city of Manila program, he added.

The mayor noted the free rides program, which will cover routes across the city of Manila and nearby areas, could serve around 100,000 passengers per day.

Starting on Thursday through Friday, over 20 transport groups—composed of drivers of jeepneys, buses, UV Express, and transport network vehicle services—are staging a two-day nationwide strike to demand government action on continuous oil price hikes amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.