Some members of Piston-Cebu held a protest alongside Gorordo Avenue in Cebu Metropolis, as a part of a transport strike towards the PUV Modernization Program. | CDN Picture / Pia Piquero
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Conventional jeepney operators and advocates in Cebu, after months of public protests towards the federal government’s Public Utility Automobile (PUV) Modernization Program, are actually applauding a latest improvement within the Senate.
The Cebu Chapter of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston), a federation of public transport teams and associations within the Philippines primarily composed of conventional jeepney operators, helps Senate Decision 1096.
This decision requires the momentary suspension of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), previously often called the PUV Modernization Program.
“Gina kalipay sa Piston Cebu ang maong lakang sa mga senador nga hunongon usa ang maong programa para dugang pa matun-an ug mapahaom gyud sa kahimtang sa atong mga gamay nga mga operator dinhi sa atong nasud ug ang kakayahan nila sa pagpalit anang mahalon nga mga sakyanan,” stated Greg Perez, president of Piston-Cebu.
Piston-Cebu staged two rounds of protests final November and December towards the PUV consolidation program.
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The Senate Decision No. 1096, filed by Senator Raffy Tulfo and supported by 21 different senators, requires the suspension of the federal government’s PTMP.
The decision highlights considerations about this system’s “rushed” implementation and the adverse affect on small jeepney operators and drivers.
Nonetheless, this assist will not be universally shared. Trendy jeepney operators and drivers who’ve already complied with this system really feel in a different way.
They oppose the decision, as they’ve invested in fashionable automobiles and tailored to the brand new necessities. The suspension of this system, they stated, may undermine their investments and create an uneven taking part in area within the trade.
“Gilupig ta nila [traditional transport operators] sa pagsaba saba,” stated Billy Pasilaban, president of Cebu Mepza Lapu-Lapu Drivers and Operators Transport Cooperative (CMLDOT) in the course of the press convention on August 1.
“Wala ta [modern jeepney operators] gipaminaw nga kita man unta gadala sa ila programa sa modernization. Ngano mulaban ang gobyerno sa gamay nga daghan man mi diri?” he added.
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The fashionable jeepney operators have expressed considerations a couple of perceived “bias” within the Senate decision. They identified that 81 % of jeepney operators have already consolidated their items in compliance with this system, whereas solely 19 % haven’t.
Regardless of being the bulk, they really feel the decision primarily considers the pursuits of the non-compliant minority. This has led to frustrations amongst fashionable jeepney operators who’ve invested considerably in upgrading their automobiles and adhering to the brand new laws.
“81% mi ang nisanong, niuban, nisunod sa gobyerno. Pero ngano ang higayon karon, kami pay gisuspenso, kami pay dili supportahan, gialanganin… Bias ang decision… Ngano ang 19% lang ila paminawon?” the president of the Mabolo Transport Cooperatives (Mabolo TC) stated. /clorenciana
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