Bacolod sectors decry 50-centavo fare hike
BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The labor, business and transport sectors here were not happy about the 50-centavo provisional fare hike implemented by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on passenger jeepneys.
The United Negros Drivers Operators Center (Undoc) on Tuesday said the 50-centavo fare increase that took effect Wednesday would not solve the problem with the rising prices of fuel because it was not enough to even offset the numerous fuel price increases that had taken effect.
“It is not enough. It will not cover for the drivers’ loss of income,” said Undoc secretary general Jessie Ortega. Instead of a fare hike, he said, the Oil Deregulation Law should be reviewed and the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-Vat) on petroleum products removed.
A 50-percent reduction of the E-Vat could ease their problems but President Benigno Aquino III had chosen to ignore their plight, Ortega pointed out.
Frank Carbon, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the fare increase on top of rising fuel prices would further push up the prices of basic commodities.
Like Ortega, Carbon also called for a review of the Oil Deregulation Law to reduce the burden on the people.
Article continues after this advertisementLabor leader Wennie Sancho maintained that the fare increase would only bolster their call for a raise in wages.
Article continues after this advertisementBut Carbon said that the fare increase would also drive up the prices of commodities, which, in turn, would erode whatever gain the workers get from a wage increase.
He also noted that 30 percent of the population that belonged to the informal sector and were not covered by wage increases, would suffer the most, Carbon said.
