ILOILO — A broad coalition of Panay Island youth groups is set to join today’s (April 21) transport strike, escalating pressure on the government as soaring fuel prices deepen the economic strain on drivers, students, and low-income families across the region.
The National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) – Panay, alongside student councils, unions, and youth organizations, announced their mobilization in solidarity with transport workers, warning that the fuel crisis has reached a tipping point that now directly threatens students’ daily survival.
The planned strike comes amid a sharp P75-per-liter increase in fuel prices from January to March 24, a surge that has pushed jeepney drivers — who consume an average of 20 liters daily — into an additional burden of about P1,500 per day, further squeezing already fragile household incomes.
“When the community suffers, students suffer,” the group said, stressing that rising transport fares and food prices are eroding student allowances and forcing many to struggle just to attend school.
The youth coalition also linked the crisis to broader policy failures, particularly the Oil Deregulation Law, which they said enables oil firms to impose price hikes while leaving the government offering “meager subsidies” insufficient to cushion the impact on vulnerable sectors.
Tensions escalated further as the group criticized what it described as the government’s misplaced priorities.
“It is an affront to the Ilonggo people when the government prioritizes international optics over the legitimate grievances of its citizens,” they said.
Calls for suspension, policy overhaul
Ahead of the strike, the coalition issued a set of demands.
They urged Iloilo provincial and city governments to declare April 21 a “People’s Holiday” and suspend classes and work to ensure safety and recognize the protest as a legitimate expression of public grievance.
School administrations were also called on to halt face-to-face classes, warning that continuing normal operations would penalize students who cannot afford alternative transport.
At the national level, the group demanded the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law and pressed the Marcos administration to adopt a P1,200 family living wage policy, emphasizing the need to prioritize public welfare over corporate profits.
“The welfare of the people is the supreme law,” the youth leaders said.
Strike centers set
Organizers said strike centers will be established in key areas including the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, Ungka Terminal, Tagbak Terminal, University of the Philippines – Visayas Infante Flyover, and Mandurriao, as part of what they describe as a coordinated, region-wide action.
The April 21 transport strike is shaping up to be a critical flashpoint, as students and transport workers converge in a unified push for economic relief and structural reforms.
“The Youth of Panay assert that they will not remain passive observers in the face of injustice,” the group said, urging officials to act before the crisis worsens further./PN
