Manila Today
Transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) will once again hold a two-day nationwide transport strike on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15.
This is to continue protesting the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP), particularly the franchise consolidation deadline on Dec. 31.
The franchise consolidation component of PUVMP mandates all operators to surrender individual franchises for consolidation into a single one owned by a cooperative or corporation serving a specific route.
This is what the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) calls “one route, one franchise, one operator.”
However, PISTON argues this scheme “leads to monopoly and corporate capture of public transport in the Philippines.”
PISTON said thousands of small-time operators or 80% of all PUV operators face displacement by the end of the year.
“Ito ba ang Pamasko sa atin ng [Department of Transportation] (DOTr) at LTFRB? Ang pagkawala ng kabuhayan ng libo-libong tsuper at operator? Mahiya naman sila. Ang dami nilang pamilyang gugutumin pagpasok ng Bagong Taon,” Mody Floranda, national president of PISTON, said.
[Is this the Christmas present of DOTr and LTFRB? The loss of livelihood of thousands of drivers and operators? Shame on them. Many of their families will go hungry during the New Year.]
The strike also demands the complete removal of the mandatory franchise consolidation and the entire PUVMP.
“Ano ba ang pumipigil kay Guadiz? Isang Memorandm Circular lang nila, mababasura na ang deadline. Kung gusto nila, kami na ang mag-draft para papirmahan na lang niya,” Floranda added.
[What’s stopping Guadiz? Just one Memorandum Circular and the deadline will be scrapped. If they want, we will draft it for him to sign.]
PISTON’s previous transport strike was held on November 20 to 22 which prompted schools in Metro Manila to shift to online classes.
Face-to-face classes suspensions
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University of the Philippines Diliman encouraged faculty members to hold their classes online for December 14 and 15.
Muntinlupa City suspends face-to-face classes on December 14 for Day Care and Kinder to Grade 12 levels.
