Manibela, Piston to hold 2-day transport strike anew

"Tuloy na tuloy po."

This was Manibela's response to DAILY TRIBUNES's inquiry on their planned transport strike on 15 and 16 April alongside transport group Piston.

Manibela President Mar Valbuena said that the planned transport strike was part of the group’s ongoing protest against the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) with the consolidation deadline approaching at the end of this month.

"We cannot afford consolidation. We cannot afford these modern minibuses," Valbuena said.

Manibela and Piston have opposed the program due to high cost of units and the registration as well as running requirements of a transport cooperative.

They claimed that it will displaced single-unit operators.

Valbuena said that commuters still patronize the traditional jeepneys because they are convenient and the fares are affordable.

"Those calling to modernize the traditional jeepneys that are well-made, run well and are locally made… Those who are complaining about jeepneys are not the ones who commute," Valbuena said.

Piston on the other hand, said that the deadline should be set aside while a petition against the PUVMP is pending at the Supreme Court.

"The House hearings on the PUVMP are not yet done and our petition is still pending at the Supreme Court but this regime is in a rush to take away the livelihoods of drivers and small operators," Piston Deputy Secretary-General Ruben Baylon said in a statement.

The upcoming two-day strike is expected to disrupt daily commuters and highlight the drivers’ plight in the face of the modernization program’s demands.