ILOILO City — Nearly 30,000 Ilonggos could face economic hardship while thousands of commuters risk losing access to affordable public transportation if the government pushes through with a World Bank-backed overhaul of Iloilo City’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program, transport workers and consumer advocates warned Tuesday, October 13.
The warning came as approximately 100 transport sector members and representatives of progressive and consumer groups protested outside a hotel along Diversion Road in Mandurriao, where the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was holding the Iloilo City Public Transport Modernization Convention.
Led by the No to PUV Phaseout Coalition (NTPPC), Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Panay (BAYAN Panay) and the Panay Consumers Alliance (PCA), the protesters opposed the redesigned Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), claiming it would eliminate thousands of livelihoods, drastically reduce available public transport and impose additional financial burdens on commuters.
In a position paper submitted during the convention, the coalition warned that the proposed modernization scheme could result in the displacement of 5,940 driver and operator families, leaving approximately 29,700 individuals economically vulnerable.
The groups also projected that the city’s daily public transport passenger capacity could plunge by 43 percent, from 710,000 to 404,880 passenger slots, effectively eliminating 305,120 available passenger places every day.
These figures were based on estimates presented by BAYAN Panay and its coalition partners and have not been independently verified.
Jeepney fleet faces further reduction
According to BAYAN Panay lead convenor Elmer Forro, the initial implementation of the modernization program has already reduced Iloilo City’s jeepney fleet by 29.7 percent, from 2,535 units to 1,782.
Of the remaining vehicles, 1,227 are traditional jeepneys while 555 are imported minibuses.
The coalition warned that the redesigned program’s proposed one-to-three replacement ratio could further reduce the fleet by replacing the remaining 1,227 traditional jeepneys with only 409 imported electric vehicles.
Under the groups’ projections, the cumulative effect of previous phaseouts and the proposed replacement scheme would result in 1,980 traditional jeepneys being permanently removed from service.
They argued that requiring transport cooperatives to lease expensive imported electric vehicles from private suppliers would burden small operators with substantial financial obligations while threatening businesses involved in traditional jeepney manufacturing, maintenance and repair.
Former Kabataan Party-list representative Raoul Manuel, who joined the protest, accused the DOTr and the World Bank of advancing a modernization scheme that primarily benefits foreign vehicle manufacturers and financial institutions.
“Sa paglantaw naton, ining modernization, ang approaches sang gobyerno kag World Bank daw scam. Gusto nila magpautang para mapasulod pa gid ang mas damo nga mini bus halin sa US-allied countries like Japan and South Korea,” Manuel stressed.
“Ang major financer man sina, US man. So, meaning daw sila man gihapon ang makabenepisyo. Maa dalagko nga foreign companies nga ginapaboran. Gusto nila ya nga himuon nga scrap ang mga traditional nga mga jeep…ang fear ta, eventually gusto nila amo ‘ni ubrahon sang mga jeep…amo ‘ni ang luyag matabo sang gobyero mismo,” Manuel said.
“Daw gina-sell out kita bala. Kaluoy sini diri ang mga drivers and operators, pati ang publiko. Pati ang mga naga-repair sang traditional jeep, affected man sila,” he said.
Commuters face higher fares, fewer rides
Beyond the potential displacement of drivers and operators, the coalition warned that the modernization program could worsen the daily commuting experience of thousands of workers, students and other passengers traveling between Iloilo City and neighboring municipalities.
The projected reduction in passenger capacity, it said, could lead to longer queues, overcrowded vehicles and greater difficulty securing transportation during peak hours.
The groups also blamed route segmentation policies associated with the modernization program for increasing the transportation expenses of commuters from surrounding towns.
Based on findings submitted to the Iloilo City Council, commuters traveling from Oton, Iloilo reportedly incur an additional P40 in daily round-trip transportation expenses.
Passengers from Leganes, Iloilo shoulder an additional P12 to P30 daily, while those from Pavia, Iloilo pay P16 to P18 more. Commuters from San Miguel reportedly spend an additional P12 per day.
The coalition warned that further reductions in public transport availability could compel more commuters to rely on private vehicles, potentially aggravating traffic congestion and undermining the program’s objective of improving urban mobility.
Coalition rejects Iloilo pilot implementation
BAYAN Panay and its allied organizations demanded that the national government reconsider the redesigned modernization program and conduct meaningful consultations with transport workers, operators, commuters and other affected stakeholders.
They also opposed the selection of Iloilo City as a pilot area for the proposed World Bank-backed initiative, arguing that modernization should improve public transportation without sacrificing livelihoods or making commuting more expensive.
“Modernization in the transport sector must uphold national sovereignty and serve the people, not enrich big private and foreign corporations at the expense of drivers, operators, and commuters,” BAYAN Panay stated.
“We demand genuine public consultations and outrightly reject selecting Iloilo City as a pilot area for this redesigned program. We stand united in protecting livelihoods, supporting local manufacturing, and fighting for accessible, affordable, safe, and reliable public transportation for all,” it added.
The protesters maintained that genuine modernization must prioritize affordable, reliable and accessible transportation while protecting the economic welfare of drivers, operators and businesses dependent on the traditional jeepney industry./PN
