Want drivers’ concerns addressed first

THE Senate yesterday unanimously adopted Senate Resolution No. 507 urging the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to delay the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys amid the planned weeklong transportation strike next week by operators and drivers protesting the government’s jeepney modernization program.

SRN 507 was authored by Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services.

In her sponsorship speech, Poe said the jeepney phaseout, which takes effect on June 30, should be postponed “pending the resolution of valid and urgent concerns raised by affected operators and drivers regarding the financial viability of the program.”

Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena has announced that their group is planning to stage a transport strike in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region III (Central Luzon) from March 6 to 12 to oppose the government’s PUV Modernization Program and force them to withdraw Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013 that orders the mandatory consolidation of their franchises until June 30.

Under the PUV modernization program, the old, traditional jeepneys will be replaced with more environment-friendly fuels starting June 30. Operators and drivers can apply for new franchises but as part of a transportation cooperative.

Poe hit the LTFRB for its insensitivity to the issues raised by operators and drivers, particularly on how they can pay the more than P2 million cost per modern jeepney out of their daily earnings.

“Ginoong Pangulo, apat na beses nang in-extend ng LTFRB ang kanilang deadline pero kahit kailan ay hindi naman nasagot ang mga reklamo sa program tungkol sa subsidiya para sa equity ng mga bagong unit (Mr. President, the LTFRB has already extended the deadline four times but it never clearly answered the concerns [raised by operators and drivers] on subsidy for the equity of the new [jeepney] units),” Poe said.

The planned modernization, she stressed, will be very expensive for operators, especially since they need to come up with P300,000 in paid-up capital “just to register a transport cooperative.”

“Ang here’s the kick: the equity subsidy provided by the government is a measly P160,000.

Not a million. One hundred sixty thousand pesos. Wala pa ito sa 7 percent ng bagong unit (This amount does not even represent 7 percent of the new jeepney unit),” she said.

To “speed up” the implementation of the policy, Poe said the LTFRB unilaterally converted all existing jeepney franchises into one-year provisional authorities (PA).

She also blasted the LTFRB for issuing MC 2023-013, which she said imposes the “deadliest deadline” — that jeepney operators who have not joined an existing consolidated entity by June 30, 2023, or those who fail to file a petition to consolidate by October 30, 2023, will have their franchises revoked.

“To enforce a deadline is not only insanity, but also inhumane. Hindi makatao (Not pro-people), Mr. President. It is contrary to the Constitutional directive to promote social justice in all phases of national development,” she stressed.

The senator likewise said the jeepney modernization program will “compound the acute shortage of public transportation modes in the country,” noting that the light rail transit systems need additional coaches while the Philippine National Railways will reportedly stop operations to speed up construction of the North-South Commuter Rail which will affect around 180,000 passengers daily “for at least five years.”

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, in an interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Maritime Industry Summit 2023 at the Manila Hotel, dismissed calls to scrap the modernization program saying that it would not be right.

Bautista said the program is “necessary in providing the people with convenient, accessible, safe, secure and affordable means of travel.”

“Iyung pagbasura ng modernization program natin ay siguro ay hindi naman tama.

Kailangan i-modernize natin iyung ating public utility vehicles. Ang tawag ko nga diyan, iyung CASSA sa amin sa transport sector, CASSA is very important. CASSA means Convenient, Accessible, Safe and Secure, and Affordable. Iyan ang laging pinag-iisipan namin sa transport sector. Kung hindi mamo-modernize ‘yung PUVs, hindi natin maiimplement ‘yung CASSA program ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) (Scrapping the modernization program is not right. We need to modernize public utility vehicles. I call that CASSA in the transport sector, it is very important. CASSA means Convenient, Accessible, Safe and Secure, and Affordable. That’s what we always think in the transport sector and if we don’t implement the PUV modernization, we cannot enforce the CASSA program of the Department of Transportation),” he said.

Bautista instead appealed to the public transportation sector consider and prioritize the welfare of the general commuting public.

Bautista said he had reached out to Valbuena who is open to a dialogue. He said that he has likewise also talked with other transportation groups and there was one which was supportive of the program. He did not name the group.

‘REALISTIC SOLUTION’

Poe said it is important for the DOTr to lay out a “realistic solution” and open its communication lines to address the concerns of operators and drivers.

“Mismong si Secretary Bautista ay dapat makipagpulong sa sektor ng transportasyon para dinggin ang kanilang hinaing at humanap ng solusyon upang hindi na ituloy ang nakaambang welga ng sector (DOTr Secretary Bautista should personally have a dialogue with the transportation sector to listen to their concerns so that solutions can be arrived at to stop the scheduled strike),” Poe said.

She also said the DOTr and the LTFRB must submit a report to the Senate so the upper chamber can be updated on the planned traditional jeepney phaseout.

“Kailangan din nating maging makatotohanan sa ating mga target at alamin kung ano ang kayang abutin sa takbang panahon. May tungkulin ang ating pamahalaan na gawing matagumpay ang modernization program para sa ligtas, maaasahan ay abot-kayang transportasyon ng ating mga kababayan

(We should be realistic in our targets and determine what can be done in the right time.

The government has a task to ensure the success of the modernization program for a safe, reliable, and affordable means of public transportation),” she said.

Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said the government should have laid out the details of its “financing plan” for the jeepney modernization program before setting a date for the phaseout.

In a statement, Pimentel said the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys has brought out uncertainties among operators and drivers on how they will be able to pay for them.

“Pag-isipan kasi mabuti hanggang sa pinakamaliit na detalye ang financing plan para dito.

Kung mukhang hindi talaga kakayanin ng mga owner-tsuper ang pagbayad sa mga sinasabing bagong units sa pamamagitan ng pamamasada, ay huwag nang ituloy ito (The government should have laid out the details of the financing plan for this [modernization program]. If the operators and drivers cannot afford to pay for the modern jeepneys by way of their daily earnings, this should not push through),” Pimentel said.

Sen. Francis Escudero said the government should review its modernization program, pointing out that “this was hastily planned, haphazardly implemented and offered no safety nets whatsoever to the drivers and operators. It (transport strike) will not benefit anyone, especially the drivers who earn daily.”

Sen. Nancy Binay said while there is a need to modernize the country’s jeepneys, “but there should be comprehensive and concrete programs based on a just transition principally because transport is an essential sector.”

CONTINGENCY READY

Bautista assured the public that DOTr has made arrangements with other agencies to provide the transport needs of commuters such as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and other government agencies in case the transport rally pushes through.

The PNP said it has placed on standby its Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) units to respond to the planned mobilization of transport groups starting Monday.

“Our field commanders have been already directed to monitoring the planned rally,” PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo told a press briefing.

Rally organizers have said some 100,000 PUVs in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Cagayan are set to join the protest.

“We have CDMs on standby, ready (for deployment) in case we observe or monitor mobilization from these (transport) groups,” said Fajardo, as she assured the public that policemen will respect the rights of transport groups.

“Expect the PNP to respect their right to express their sentiments but our appeal to them is to ensure they are not going to violate the law. We will enforce what we call maximum tolerance (in dealing with protesters),” said Fajardo.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr urged the transport groups not to cause trouble. “If they are going to stage protest, they should not cause trouble, they should… keep it peaceful,” he said.

Fajardo said the PNP will also be sending out police vehicles to help commuters reach their destinations.

“We already coordinated with the LGUs and they made a commitment to provide assistance, lend their available vehicles to assist our countrymen who will be affected by the transport strike,” said Fajardo.

The MMDA said it is prepared to deploy its vehicles to provide free transport to workers and student who would be affected by the transport strike.

“We will augment the government’s Libreng Sakay vehicles should the transport strike push through,” MMDA chairperson Romando Artes said, adding the agency will deploy its buses and trucks to provide free transport to commuters.

The MMDA chief said the agency is also coordinating with the DOTr, the Land Transportation Office and LTFRB to ensure that the transport strike will not paralyze public transport in the metropolis. — With Jocelyn Montemayor, Victor Reyes and Ashzel Hachero