MANIBELA Launches 2-Day Transport Strike Against Mega Oil Price Hike

Transport group MANIBELA began its two-day transport strike on Wednesday to oppose the mega oil price hike that took effect Tuesday. Around 100 members of the group gathered at Philcoa along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City for the transport strike, according to a report by Gabriel Gonzales on Unang Balita. Carrying tarpaulins, MANIBELA members called on the government to remove excise and value added taxes on fuel products and bring down their prices. They also said the government has not listened to their plea to raise jeepney fare. Commuters meanwhile had mixed reactions to the transport strike. Some said a P1 fare hike would greatly affect minimum wage earners, while others support the group's call for a fare hike. Due to the transport strike, buses and jeeps still plying Commonwealth Avenue were full. Personnel of the Quezon City Traffic and Transport Management Department were on site to manage the traffic. The Department of Transportation and other government agencies offered free rides Wednesday to commuters affected by the transport strike. Meanwhile, face-to-face classes were suspended in some schools and areas due to the transport strike. —KG, GMA News