THE Department of Labor and Employment yesterday said it is ready to aid jeepney drivers and operators who will be adversely affected by the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, offering them a P30,000 in-kind livelihood assistance.
In a statement, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said displaced jeepney drivers and operators can avail of the DOLE’s “enTSUPERneur” program.
“Each affected transport worker is to be provided a minimum of P30,000 in-kind livelihood assistance,” said Laguesma, adding beneficiaries may choose from various livelihood projects such as including rice retailing, variety store and food stall establishment, animal raising, agricultural input provision, and tailoring, among others.
The labor chief said the livelihood package also contains materials, inputs, and market linkages to assist the beneficiaries.
Ledesma said they are also urging displaced transport workers to undergo the skills development training program of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
He said the program provides displaced drivers, operators, and their family members free technical vocational skills training, assessment, and certification, with a training allowance of P350 per day for a maximum of 35 days.
“We want to help them, guide them in having an alternative form of livelihood,” stressed Laguesma.
The DOLE said around 4,500 transport workers have availed of the assistance program amounting to a total of P123 million.
Another 1,500 transport workers are also waiting to be provided the DOLE aid.
SOLID SUPPORT
Seven transport groups have expressed support for the government’s firm implementation of the Public Utility PUV Modernization Program, which is set to end the operation of unconsolidated PUVs nationwide this month.
In a briefing yesterday, leaders of Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations, Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, Stop and Go Transport Coalition, and Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas as well as the UV Express National Alliance of the Philippines said the implementation of the PUVMP is long overdue, stressing that commuters will vastly benefit from the program.
Pasang Masda national president Obet Martin said the PUVMP is focused on serving commuters by providing safe and convenient public transport.
According to Orlando Marquez, LTOP President, their group has been supporting the modernization of PUVs since 1997.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista explained that while the program focuses on the safety and convenience of commuters, the government will also extend its assistance to affected PUV operators and drivers during the program’s transition period, adding the transport agency is determined to implement the PUVMP.
“The program focuses on what will give or bring good to our riders. But we will not forget the responsibility to the drivers, to the operators,” the transport chief said.
PUV consolidation rate reached 76 percent nationwide after the December 31 deadline lapsed and PUVs that failed to join the consolidation will no longer be allowed to operate on February 1, 2024, according to DOTr.
A Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board circular allows PUV operators and drivers without consolidated TSE (transport service entities) to continue to operate only until January 31, 2024.
Under the LTFRB Memorandum circular no. 2023-052, which took effect last December 25, all unconsolidated individual operators who failed to apply consolidation before December 31, shall no longer be allowed to organize into a juridical entity or join existing consolidated Transportation Service Entity (TSE).
The Land Transportation Office said it will strictly implement of the “No Registration, No Travel” policy to address the rampant operation of colorum vehicles. — With Myla Iglesias
