Manibela Launches Strike Over Fuel Price Hikes, Demands Fare Increase

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Manibela has launched a two-day strike starting today, protesting fuel price hikes and demanding a P2 minimum increase in jeepney fares. Manibela said the transport strike would start at 5 a.m. A strike center will be set up in Philcoa, Quezon City beginning at 7 a.m. “It weighs heavily on us to have to stage a transport strike, but it seems the government simply waits for the issue to cool down before allowing oil companies to implement new price hikes for petroleum products,” Manibela president Mar Valbuena told reporters. The group is also planning to file a petition for a P2 fare hike with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. “This won’t be enough; it would only allow us to survive, given the huge maintenance costs we face,” Valbuena said. “We hardly have any earnings left. Whatever income we make goes to vehicle maintenance.” Meanwhile, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) staged a protest yesterday pushing for a P10 fare increase. The current minimum fare for jeepneys is P13. Piston president Mody Floranda said jeepney drivers are losing around P1,850 per day due to fuel expenses alone. Floranda said drivers need to earn about P4,600 just to cover fuel costs and boundary payments. He also factored in the rising cost of vehicle parts in the transport group’s fare hike petition. “A simple screw costs P45 to P50. When we overhaul our engine, it’s already running at P80,000 to P90,000,” Floranda said. Piston also renewed its call to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law and remove the excise tax and value-added tax on fuel.