ILOILO City – Despite mounting pressure from transport groups nationwide and a sharp increase in global fuel prices, no public utility vehicle (PUV) group in Western Visayas has filed a petition for a fare increase, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 office confirmed.
LTFRB-6 legal counsel and spokesperson Atty. Salvador Altura said that neither this year nor last year has the regional office received any fare hike request from local transport groups, particularly for traditional and modernized jeepneys.
However, Altura clarified that the absence of local petitions does not insulate the region from a potential fare increase.
Fare hike applications filed by national transport groups — mostly based in Metro Manila — are being consolidated by the LTFRB Central Office. Once approved, any fare increase will be implemented uniformly across the country, including in Western Visayas, he explained.
“It applies to all,” Altura said. “If their reason is fuel price increase, it’s not just in their area — fuel prices are up here in Iloilo, too. So there’s no need for local groups to file separate petitions.”
Currently, the minimum fare remains at P13 for traditional jeepneys and P15 for modernized jeepneys for the first four kilometers.
The LTFRB central office has yet to approve any fare adjustment. In a statement on June 20, LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said that all fare hike proposals remain pending as the agency awaits the findings of an ongoing review by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), formerly the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
“We want to be clear: no fare increase has been approved at this stage,” Guadiz said. “Fare adjustments are a serious matter that require careful study, especially considering the current economic conditions.”
Earlier, Guadiz floated the possibility of a P1 across-the-board provisional increase for jeepney fares if global oil prices, based on Dubai crude, breach $80 per barrel. But he also stressed that the adjustment would be a flat rate only, with no additional per-kilometer charge.
Nationwide, transport groups such as Pasang Masda, the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations are pushing for fare hikes due to rising operational costs. ALTODAP president Melencio Vargas said a provisional increase would offer much-needed relief for jeepney drivers, though he acknowledged fares could be lowered again if oil prices drop.
Meanwhile, the LTFRB is also reviewing a fare hike petition for provincial buses, which could involve a graduated increase depending on distance. However, in Metro Manila, bus operators recently withdrew their fare hike request, citing low ridership amid stiff competition from trains, modern jeepneys, and app-based transport services.
“If fares go up, commuters may simply stop using their services,” Guadiz noted.
Fuel prices have surged to their highest levels this year, with the Department of Energy blaming geopolitical tensions—particularly the ongoing wars involving Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Iran—for market volatility. The government is preparing to roll out a P2.5-billion fuel subsidy program to cushion the impact on jeepneys, buses, taxis, ride-hailing vehicles, and delivery services./PN
