MANILA, Philippines — Commuters should prepare for another Black Monday as transport groups laughed at government warnings and vowed to push through with a nationwide transport strike today (Monday, Sept. 30).
Anticipating maximum public inconvenience, local governments in 17 key areas in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Western Visayas suspended classes in all levels
And the Department of Transportation (DOTr) again threatened to cancel their franchises, called certificates of public convenience (CPC), if they join the strike.
“Franchises issued by government is a privilege and not a right,” said Assistant Transportation Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran, echoing the position of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Unfazed by threat
“[CPCs] may be revoked if [transport operators] are proven to rescind on their responsibility that they themselves asked from the state,” Libiran added.
The LTFRB announced on Sept. 26 the cancellation of the franchises of at least 20 jeepney operators for joining transport strikes in February 2017, or more than two years ago.
But leaders of the strike appeared to be unfazed by the franchise cancellations.
“Instead of talking to us, they are threatening us with the removal of our franchises,” said Jun Magno, president of Stop and Go, one of the groups involved in the strike.
Magno’s group and several others are demanding to stop a program to modernize the country’s fleet of public utility vehicles and replace old units with ones that comply with emission standards.
Modernization program
Under the program, jeepney operators with 15-year-old vehicles should replace their units with ones that comply with Euro-4 standards by July 1, 2020.
Around 240,000 jeepneys and up to 80,000 UV Express units will be affected by the modernization program, said George San Mateo, president of Piston group.
Efren de Luna, president of Acto group, said more than 400,000 jeepney and UV express drivers were expected to participate in the strike.
“The way I see it, they’ll be taking away our franchises on July 1 anyway. What’s the difference? There is nothing that can stop us,” Magno said.
He added that the DOTr was only using environmental concerns as a smokescreen to phase out small operators in favor of large corporations.
“The strike is not meant to add hardships to people,” Magno said earlier.
But added hardship is precisely what local governments are expecting in the cities of Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque and Pasay City and they have suspended classes.
The same was done in San Pablo City and the towns of Los Baños, Majayjay, Rizal and Santa Cruz, all in Laguna, as well as Tiaong town in Quezon. —With reports from Carla P. Gomez and Julie M. Aurelio