QUEZON CITY – Several groups in the transportation sector on Tuesday have expressed their profound support to the government’s jeepney modernization program as they vowed not to join the transport strike by the Manibela transport group on Monday.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Atty. Teofilo “Jojo” Guadiz III said “kami po ay nakikiusap sa mga nagbabalak ng tigil-pasada. Wag nyo na pang ituloy. Sana tayo ay bumalik sa negotiating table. We’ve been talking for several months. Once again, we are inviting them to go back to the negotiating table. We believe that we have the solutions. Matagal pa po yung sinasabing phaseout. So long as they pass the LTO’s road worthiness. Sama-sama tayong bumiyahe sa kaunlaran,” during the press conference in Max’s Restaurant in Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City of the different national transport leaders nationwide about the public transport modernization program.
“Yung sinasabi ng Manibela na phaseout ay walang katotohanan po. Kami po ay nanawagan sa mga kapatid sa transportasyon na sana ay bumalik sa negotiating table. Ang lahat po ay mapag-uusapan,” Guadiz added.
“Let us use the proper words sa programa. Let’s talk about modernization kasi may mga salitang medyo nakakasakit sa ibang tao,” he said.
According to the LTFRB chief the fuel subsidy will be given to all the members of the transport groups, which goes with the jeepney modernization program of the government.
He noted that 64.9 percent of all transportation cooperatives are already organized.
“We have been talking with hundreds of transport cooperatives nationwide. Majority po ay sumusuporta naniniwala sa modernization. Conditions will be improved for the sake of the drivers and operators,” Guadiz said.
For his part, Office of Transport Cooperative Chairman Andy Ortega said “nagpapasalamat po ako sa mga liders ng transportation sa pagbibigay ng tiwala sa gobyerno sa programa dahil sa maayos at magandang relasyon ng mga transport leaders at Sec. Jimmy Bautista. Kami po ay nag-iikot sa buong bansa sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao upang alamin ang concerns ng drivers at operators. At ito po ang tamang proseso para ayusni natin ang mga problema, ang mga di pagkakaintiindihan. This is the right forum. This is the right procedure para sa ikabubuti ng programa ng ating bansa.”
“Kami po ay nagkasundo na sa phase 1 ang pag-organisa ng mga drivers at operators into a cooperative or a corporation. To educate and convince our drivers, that’s the first phase,” Ortega added.
“Modernization is another phase for implementation. If there are concerns sa pagkuha ng bagong sasakyan. Marami na po kaming naayos at malamang meron pa dyang di mag-aagree. Ang importante ay maliwanagan sila. Majority of our drivers are not joining the July 24 event dahil naniniwala sila sa modernization program,” he said.
“Ang pagsali sa cooperative o corporation is an advantage para sa mga drivers. This is the essence of cooperative na magsama-sama para ang lahat ng problema ay masolusyonan,” he said.
According to the OTC chief, P160,000 ang subsidy if you go to the government bank or P320,000 if you go to a private bank. Ang pautang na ginawa ng Landbank at DBP ay extended up to 7 years with 6 percent interest per annum.
He also denied that the P2 million will all be shouldered by the drivers or the government alone.
“As of now, the deadline of jeepney modernization program is Dec. 31, 2023. Kailangan nang mapuntahan ang mga driver para mag-organize ng transport cooperative o corporation,” he said.
“Wag na po ninyong ituloy ang transport strike sa Lunes. Meron pong suspension o kaakibat na cancellation ng prangkisa ang sinumang sasali sa transport strike,” he added.
On the other hand, Pasang Masda national president Ka Obet Martin said “Natapos ang aming miting kay Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista nang gabi na. Maghapong nagmiting kay Sec. Bautista.”
He described the leader of Manibela as the one who raised the hand of a presidential candidate during the May 2022 elections and now has the guts to call for a transport strike.
“300,000 daw ang patitigilin. Mahigit 70,000 jeep lang ang tumatakbo sa buong Pilipinas. Nandito po ang taxi, bus. Ako po ay naniniwala na kaya kayo nandito ay tayo ay sama-sama. Hindi yung hahamunin mo yung Pangulo na pag hindi mo ko harapin ay mag-iistrike ako sa Lunes,” Ka Obet said.
Ka Obet added that he does not know where Manibela will get the people who will join their transport strike on Monday.
Ka Obet has been in the transport industry for 50 years already.
The so-called “Magic 12” is composed of Pasang Masda, Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas, Altodap president Ka Boy Vargas, Stop and Go, Ka Ambo ng Taxi Operators ng buong Pilipinas, FEJODAP president Jeff Maranan, UV Express isa sa national board ng UV express federation of the Philippines, Ayala Terminal lahat ng Ayala terminal sya ang namamahala ng transport terminals.
“Kami po ay nakikipag-ugnayan kay Sec. Bautista at Chairman Jojo Guadiz ukol sa mga kahilingan tungkol sa phaseout ng jeepney sinagot ng DOTR walang phaseout as long as the jeepneys will undergo the motor vehicle inspection test and they are road-worthy,” Ka Obet said.
“Sell and transfer ay pumayag na rin ang LTFRB na subsidy ay mapupunta sa driver o operator ng nabiling jeepney,” he added.
“Consolidation process which will end by Dec. 31 na pinakiusap kay Sec. Bautista at sumagot ng yes si Sec. Bautista at mabibigyan pa sila ng karagdagang panahon para mabigyan ng solusyon,” Ka Obet said.
He said that they had been holding meetings with Sec. Bautista and Chairman Guadiz in order to provide solution to their problems.
The transport groups would like to express to Bautista, Guadiz and Ortega and especially to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Maros, Jr, that they are supporting the government.
Ka Obet noted that even Piston is supporting the Jeepney Modernization Program. Proper information dissemination nationwide is only needed. “Ang pautang para sa jeepney modernization program ng mga drivers at operators ay sinasagot ng Landbank at DBP,” he added. – By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
