Malacanang cancelled classes at all levels in public and private schools as well as work in government offices yesterday, because of the nationwide transport strike led by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston).
“This (suspension of classes and government work) is to minimise public inconvenience arising from the planned nationwide transportation strike,” Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.
Private sector workers are not covered by the order but employers have the authority to suspend work as they see fit.
Laisa Alamia, executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said classes and government work are likewise suspended in the region.
The transport strike, which is set to last until today, was held in protest over government’s plan to ban rickety jeepneys.
According to Piston, transport strikes will be held simultaneously in Baguio, Pampanga, Bulacan, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Cebu, Davao, Surigao del Norte, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Bukidnon.
“The Duterte administration wants to massacre the livelihood of over 600,000 PUJ drivers and 300,000 small operators and turn our operations into a milking cow of his big business cronies, the Ayalas, Pangilinans, Aboitizes and Cojuangcos,” the group said in a statement issued on Sunday.
“For commuters, it would result in unabated fare hikes with the minimum fare increasing to at least P20 through the Ayala owned Beep automated fare collection system. It would also cause greater inconveniences as the route rationalisation and fleet management scheme would set lesser PUJ routes to favour private vehicles and the big business owned Bus-Rapid-Transit,” it added.
Other groups which have joined the strike are the Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bayyo Association Inc. (Bai), Rizal Alliance vs. PUJ Phase out, No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition, Unified Transport Federation of Makati, CAMANAVA Transport Alliance Against Jeepney Phaseout, Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network, All Workers’ Unity, and Kilos na Manggagawa.
In Metro Manila, the main protest areas are Cubao, Philcoa, Welcome Rotonda, and Litex in Quezon City; Monumento in Caloocan City, Stop and Shop and Pedro Gil in Manila and Alabang.
The government’s transport modernisation programme aims to phase out old jeepneys and replace them with bigger, air-conditioned and environment-friendly units.
Transport groups have opposed the programme, claiming most operators will not be able to pay for the new jeepney units.
This is the second transport strike in three weeks. On September 25 to 26, transport group Stop and Go Coalition staged a two-day transport strike in protest over the government’s modernisation plan but it failed to paralyse traffic.
Activists and jeepney drivers hold banners during a jeepney transport strike held in Manila yesterday.
