TRANSPORT groups Manibela and the Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) yesterday ended their planned weeklong “Tigil Pasada” protest action after a meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday to discuss their grievances against the government public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.
President Marcos Jr. thanked leaders of the transport groups for deciding to engage in a dialogue with the government.
“Ako’y nagpapasalamat naman sa kanila na sa palagay ko ay naramdaman nila, they have made their point and they have… They have made their point very clearly na kailangan natin tingnan at pag-aralan nang mabuti (ang modernization program) [I am thankful to them. I think, they felt that they have already made their point…They have made their point very clearly that we have to look at and carefully consider the modernization program],” Marcos said in an interview after launching the Kadiwa Para sa Manggagawa in Quezon City.
Manibela national president Mar Valbuena and Piston chairman Mody Floranda met with the President,
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil on Tuesday night to discuss their concerns over the modernization program.
A statement released by the Presidential Communications Office said Bersamin was designated as the transport sectors’ point person in airing their grievances to the President.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) hailed the decision of transport groups to end the transport strike.
LTFRB chairman Teofilo E. Guadiz III said: “We have never wavered in asking our friends from Manibela and Piston to sit down with us, to thresh out their concerns about the PUVMP and the modernization of the public transportation industry. We are glad they listened to our President.”
Garafil said that while the President told the transport groups that the PUV modernization undertaking will proceed, he committed to keep open his communication lines to the transport sector.
Marcos also reiterated the urgency of ensuring that public transport vehicles are safe but conceded that it should not be a burden to industry players.
He said the government is also looking at ways of ensuring that no public utility transport worker will be rendered jobless once the program is fully implemented, especially with the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) which would signal the start of the phaseout of old and traditional jeepneys.
Marcos said that during the meeting with the transport groups, among the problems raised was the inability of PUV drivers and operators to purchase the new and more energy efficient, environment friendly EVs.
The President said the government has also been thoroughly studying and tweaking the systems in inspecting PUVs.
“Sa ngayon, ang ginagawa lang natin tiyakin lang natin na safe ang ating mga sasakyan, na hindi malalagay sa alanganin ang mga pasahero, ang mga commuter, at maganda naman ang aming usapan at nabigyan natin ang sarili natin, together with the transport groups and the government, nang kaunting oras para sa December 30 (What we are doing now is ensuring that PUVs are safe, that passengers are not put at risk. We had a good discussion, and we gave ourselves, including the transport groups, more time until December 30),” he said.
Sen. Grace Poe welcomed the move of transport groups to cut short their transport strike.
Poe, who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said this will be an opportune time for the transport sector and the Executive department to resume talks so they can arrive at a win-win solution.
“Inaasahan natin na ang malawakang konsultasyon ay magdudulot ng produktibong dayalogo mula sa lahat ng panig ng gobyerno, drayber, at mga komyuter. Ipinapakita lamang nito na kaya at handa ang gobyernong makipag-usap at mag-abot tulong sa ating mga dryaber at operators sa pagtransisyon sa pagbabagong ito (We expect that the consultation will result in a productive dialogue between the government, the drivers, and the commuters. This only shows that the government is ready for discussions and extend help to the operators and drivers transition to the modernization program),” Poe said.
She said the DOTr and the LTFRB should take this opportunity to improve the modernization program, now that all transport groups are willing to join in the discussions.
‘NO IMMEDIATE PHASE-OUT’
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the Department of Transportation did not recommend the immediate phase-out of traditional jeepneys.
Bautista said that as long as the old jeepneys remain roadworthy and compliant with the Philippines National Standard, they will be allowed to operate.
“We never recommended the immediate phaseout of the jeepney. There are many components in the PUV modernization program, and the phaseout is one of the last, we will not allow the use (of) not roadworthy (jeepneys), but as long as the units are roadworthy and compliant with Philippine national the standard, we will allow the use of these units,” Bautista said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
As of now, Bautista said the DOTr is focused on completing the consolidation into cooperatives of traditional jeepneys by year-end, but this could be extended. “We will continue the dialogue with the drivers and operators. If there is a need to extend the deadline (December 31), we will consider that,” Bautista said.
To date, 60 percent of the country’s 180,000 PUVs have already consolidated.
Bautista said the iconic jeepney model will not be phased out and will still be allowed to operate as long as complies with government standards, which includes, among others, that it should be airconditioned and Euro 5 compliant.
Bautista said the government is looking at increasing the current P160,000 subsidy for operators to modernize their fleet. — With Myla Iglesias and Raymond Africa
