PISTON: transport strike to continue Tuesday

The Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) will continue its three-day nationwide strike on Tuesday, November 21, following a short dialogue with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday. 

“Tuloy ang welga,” said PISTON in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). 

(The strike will continue.)

“Lahat ‘pinag-aaralan’. Pinasimple na natin ang ating demands — tanggalin ang deadline, tanggalin ang consolidation, ibasura ang phaseout. Ang sagot ng LTFRB, puro ‘pag-aaralan’, puro paasa,” the transport group said. 

(The LTFRB said it would ‘study’ our demands. We have already simplified our terms — remove the deadline, the consolidation, and the jeepney phaseout. The LTFRB just answered they would ‘study’ the matter. They are just giving us false hopes.)

PISTON also said jeepney drivers and operators can no longer wait for the LTFRB “study” as the year-end deadline for the consolidation of traditional jeepneys is just around the corner. 

“Gaano pa katagal pag-aaralan ‘yan eh sa December 31 na ang deadline? Pinaasa lang nila ang mga tsuper at operator para magmukha sa madla na may malasakit ang LTFRB. Ang sagot ng mga tsuper at operator: tuloy ang welga. Tuloy ang laban,” it added. 

(How long should we wait for the results of the study when the deadline is on December 31? They are just giving us false hopes. The LTFRB only wants to make it appear that it cares for us. The answer of drivers and operators: the strike will continue. The fight continues.)

LTRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III held a dialogue with Piston President Mody Floranda on Monday afternoon in hopes of appealing to PISTON to end its strike and to urge jeepney drivers to resume plying their routes. 

Floranda reiterated to Guadiz the demands of the transportation group that includes the junking of the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines, the December 31 deadline for the consolidation, as well as the reinstating of the five-year validity for the franchise of public utility vehicles. 

Guadiz said the LTFRB will be “studying” the demands but earlier said they are open to offer a five-year franchise to jeepney operators as part of its negotiations. 

“’Yung mga bagay na ‘yan pag-aaralan pero sa ngayon po ang mungkahi ko sa kanila, hindi mo naman kailangan tapusin ‘yung proseso ng consolidation hanggang December 31. I-file mo lang sa LTFRB ‘yung intention mo. Bibigyan ka namin ng anim na buwan hanggang isang taon para matapos ‘yun,” he told Floranda. 

(We will study their demands but now, my advice is for them to file their intention to the LTFRB. They need not finish the consolidation until December 31. We can give six months to a year for them to finish it.)

“Ibig sabihin, may ibinibigay kami na iba, meron ding ibang bagay na sa amin pananaw ay pag-aaralan pa namin kung ibibigay namin…Hindi ko maibibigay sa isang negosasyon ‘yug inyong hinihingi,” Guadiz said. 

(We can approve some of their demands while studying the others. I cannot agree to all their terms in one negotiation.)

“Yung tuloy-tuloy na strike, ginagalang po namin 'yan pero kung pwede ho sana, alang-alang sa bayang Pilipino, baka pwede igsian nila ang kanilang strike,” he added. 

(We respect their right to continue their strike but we appeal for them to shorten it.)

Currently, the LTFRB offers only one-year provisional authority for jeepneys in line with the modernization program. The deadline for the consolidation process for public utility vehicles (PUV) is December 31, 2023.

PISTON on Monday pushed through with its three-day transport strike to protest the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), particularly the December 31 deadline given to jeepney operators for consolidation.

In a statement last week announcing the strike, PISTON said the franchise consolidation scheme "may result in the monopoly of a few big fleet managers or corporations who have the necessary capitalization to control PUV routes."

In the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area alone, around 8,000 to 10,000 jeepney drivers are expected to participate in the transport strike, according to James Agustin's report on Unang Balita.

According to the LTFRB, around 70% of PUV operators have already complied with the modernization program.

11 routes affected by the strike

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said 11 routes in Manila, Muntinlupa, Alabang, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Quezon City were affected by the transportation strike. 

However, MMDA said it did not paralyze public transportation. 

“Baka nga po normal Monday morning rush hour foot traffic lang ito. I can confidently say na hindi naparalisa ang pampublikong transportasyon,” said MMDA Officer-in-charge Romando Artes in Maki Pulido’s “24 Oras” report.

(This may just be normal Monday morning rush hour foot traffic.  I can confidently say that the strike did not paralyze public transportation.)

Vice President Sara Duterte visited the MMDA Command Center to observe the traffic situation amid the strike. 

“The general rule is there will be no cancellation of classes during a transport strike. The only exception is if the local government unit will declare,” said Duterte. 

On Tuesday, transport group Manibela said it will hold a meeting to discuss if they will join the strike. —RF, GMA Integrated News