ILOILO City – Drivers and operators of consolidated “first town” jeepneys have announced a transport holiday on June 3 and 4 to protest the city government’s Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP).
This plan restricts their entry into the city to only 40 percent of their usual routes during peak hours and 25 percent during off-peak times, significantly impacting their daily earnings.
Elmer Forro, lead convenor of the No to PUV Phase-out Coalition in Western Visayas, said the transport strike is “a demonstration of our discontent.”
The protest will be joined by jeepney operators from Leganes, Pavia and Oton towns, with possible participation from other towns such as San Miguel.
These four municipalities are the closest to Iloilo City; they share borders with the metro.
“No jeepneys (from these towns) will operate, or if any do, it will be very few,” Forro told Panay News.
Drivers and operators from these municipalities are struggling financially, as they can only enter the city once or twice a week under the LPTRP.
On Friday morning, May 31, affected drivers and operators held a press conference at the Pavia Farmers Center, calling on the city government to revert to the previous system allowing 100 percent entry to Iloilo City.
Currently, only 40 percent of “first towns” jeepneys are allowed into the city during peak hours (6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.), and 25 percent during off-peak hours.
Cesar Carnaje, a driver and operator from Janiuay who runs the Pavia – Iloilo City Loop route, shared his plight.
“On my scheduled day to enter the city, I earn around P3,500, but on other days when I can’t enter the city, my income drops to just P300,” Carnaje lamented in Hiligaynon. “How can I support my family and send my three children to college on such a low income?”
He added: “We’re not the cause of city traffic; it’s the private vehicles. If all our routes are restored, it would alleviate a lot of the current strain without causing traffic issues.”
Gilbert Bonite, another driver from Pavia, echoed similar concerns.
“My income drops to P300 when I can’t enter the city, compared to P700 to P800 when I can. It’s really difficult to make ends meet with this new system,” he said.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and city government officials are yet to respond to these concerns.
Jeepney drivers warned that the situation could worsen when classes resume in July, further straining their operations and affecting countless commuters.
Ariel Servando, 34, from Barangay Guinobatan, Leganes and plying the route Leganes – La Paz, Iloilo City Loop via La Paz and vice versa, also expressed his struggle. “I only earn P100 on days I am limited to the Tagbak terminal, compared to P1,000 when I can enter La Paz,” he said.
Rolly Agocejos, a driver from Barangay Buhang, Jaro district, noted the drastic reduction in his income, too, since the implementation of the LPTRP.
“My weekly income has halved. It’s tough to survive on this,” he said.
He is plying the route Leganes – La Paz, Iloilo City Loop via La Paz and vice versa.
Arlan Juele, chairman of the Pavia Jeepney Owners and Drivers Transport Cooperative (PJODTC), underlined the adverse effects of the LPTRP on commuters and drivers alike.
Albert Salalima, vice president of the Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of Oton (JODAO), voiced concern for the passengers.
“All passengers are complaining about the new system. It’s a shock to everyone,” he remarked, referring also to old routes that were scrapped and new routes that were in instituted but not familiar to passengers, thereby causing confusion./PN
