Mody Floranda, Bam Aquino push for increased support for jeepney drivers

Senatorial candidates Mody Floranda of the Makabayan coalition and Bam Aquino held separate dialogues with jeepney drivers, who worried that the government's transportation modernization plan would take away their livelihood.

Floranda, current president of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide or PISTON, talked with drivers and operators of jeepneys in Angeles, Pampanga.

He said he is not against modernization, but added that government should not ignore the drivers' concerns such as the high cost of the modern unit.

"Tungkulin ng gobyerno na protektahan ang kabuhayan natin at pataasin ang antas ng pamumuhay ng lahat (The government should protect our livelihood and help improve the quality of life of the people)," he said.

In a dialogue with the members of the Batangas Transport Cooperative in Mataasnakahoy, Batangas, Aquino pushed for a humane jeepney modernization program, starting with increased government subsidies for the purchase of modern jeepneys.

The Public Transport Modernization Program (PMTP), introduced in 2017, mandates Public Utility Vehicles to have Euro 4 diesel engines to ensure roadworthiness and improved air quality.

“Mahalagang tingnan natin kung kaya ba talaga o hindi. Gusto nila mag-modernize at gawin ang programa ng gobyerno, ang hinihiling lang po just transition. Walang maiiwanan. Dapat ‘yung bayarin sa bangko, dapat ka match niya ‘yung boundary, para tuloy tuloy po ‘yung ating pagba-boundary," the former senator said.

(We should take a hard look if they can really afford to modernize. They want to modernize and help the government, but they need help with the costs so they can keep up. The banks' rates in terms of monthly payment for the purchase of a modern jeepney should match what the drivers and operators are earning.)

“[Iyon ay para] may bago tayong unit, at hindi tayo malulugi. Pero ngayon po, ang lumalabas, iyong ibinibigay ng bangko [na presyo], mataas sa boundary [na pambayad ng modern jeep] kaya kailangan ng ibang mapagkukuhaan ng pondo. May subsidy per trip, pero hindi lahat puede maka-avail. Ang hinahanap talaga nila, subsidiya talaga sa unit para bumaba iyong binabayaran buwan buwan dahil kung hindi, malulugi tayong lahat,” Aquino said.

(This should be the case so they won't go bankrupt. But as it is, the banks' rates are way above what they earn, so they need another source of funding. There's a government subsidy per trip, but its coverage is limited. What they really want is a government subsidy for paying the unit on a monthly basis. Otherwise, we'll all go into debt here.)

Various sectors, including the government, have admitted that the high costs of modern jeepneys, which range from P1.7 million to P3.3 million per unit, should still be decreased to become more feasible given that not all routes are profitable enough for the drivers and operators to earn sufficiently both for their personal income and payment of the monthly dues for the modern jeep unit.

“[Kaya] tama lang na mabigyan [sila ng gobyerno] ng tamang suporta,” Aquino added.

The Department of Transportation earlier said that the PUV modernization program is pushing through but admitted that there is a need to address the lingering concerns of the drivers and operators on costs of modern jeepneys and profitability, or lack of, of routes that are yet to be finalized to this day. —LDF, GMA Integrated News

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