MANILA (March 23) — A nationwide jeepney shutdown today is shaping up as more than a one-day protest—it is a stark warning of a public transport system buckling under relentless fuel price hikes.
The Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) said drivers and operators will stay off the roads, saying daily earnings have collapsed as diesel prices surge anew.
“Talagang hindi na namin kakayanin,” said ACTO national president Libay de Luna, noting that some drivers now bring home as little as ₱150 a day—an income that barely covers food, let alone fuel and boundary fees.
The group said the transport holiday is meant to send a direct message to Ferdinand Marcos Jr.: the sector is in distress, and existing support remains inadequate.
A system under strain
The looming protest comes as the Department of Energy projects another steep round of increases—diesel prices could rise by as much as ₱17.50 per liter, gasoline by up to ₱8.50, and kerosene by nearly ₱9. In some areas, pump prices are already nearing—or breaching—the ₱100-per-liter mark.
For jeepney drivers, whose income depends on daily passenger volume, each price hike tightens margins that are already razor-thin. Many now operate at a loss, forced to choose between continuing to work or cutting trips to avoid deeper debt.
Aid gaps and mounting debt
ACTO is calling for expanded service contracting subsidies and a loan moratorium for transport cooperatives still paying off modern jeepney units—costly investments tied to the government’s modernization program. Without relief, operators warn, defaults could rise, threatening both livelihoods and fleet availability.
The protest also exposes a policy gap: while fare hike petitions are often delayed or moderated to shield commuters, fuel price increases hit immediately—leaving drivers to absorb the shock.
Widening unrest
The action follows last week’s strike by Piston and is expected to ripple beyond Metro Manila. In Iloilo City, the Western Visayas Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations Inc. is planning a parallel transport holiday, signaling that discontent is spreading across regions.
More than a one-day stoppage
Transport groups say today’s shutdown is only an initial step if conditions do not improve. With global oil prices driving local pump costs higher, the crisis is no longer episodic but structural—raising questions about how long the country’s primary mode of public transport can remain viable without sustained intervention.
For millions of commuters, the risk is clear: as drivers reach their limit, disruptions may become more frequent—and the daily ride to work increasingly uncertain.
