Progressive group PISTON has announced plans for a nationwide transport strike on Thursday, 19 March, to protest rising fuel prices that they say are eroding their income and worsening the cost of living for workers.

During a press conference on Monday, the group said the strike would involve drivers, operators and supporters from different sectors calling for immediate government intervention.

“Ngayon darating po na March 19 ay idedeklara po natin… hindi lamang sa National Capital Region kundi sa buong bansa ang isang protesta at huwelga,” PISTON national president Mody Floranda said, adding that the action is meant to oppose what they described as the government’s inaction on rising fuel costs.

Demand to roll back fuel prices

Aside from staging the strike, Floranda called for an immediate rollback of oil prices to P55 per liter, which they said reflects fuel prices before the recent increases.

“I-rollback ang presyo ng petrolyo sa halagang P55 dahil ito po ang panahon bago nagtaas-taas ang presyo ng petrolyo,” he said during the press conference.

The group is also pushing for the removal of taxes on petroleum products and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, which they claim allows oil companies to set prices with little government intervention.

The law, enacted in 1998, liberalized the country’s oil industry by removing government control over fuel pricing and allowing market forces to determine pump prices.

“Halos araw-araw po na gumagalaw ang presyo ng petrolyo… paggising mo sa umaga iba na ang presyo,” Floranda added.

Drivers warn of livelihood crisis

The continuous increases in fuel costs are threatening their livelihoods, as operating expenses rise while income remains largely unchanged, the transport leader said.

Floranda claimed that drivers are losing a large portion of their daily earnings to fuel costs, prompting calls for a P5 fare increase to help offset their losses.

He said drivers often shoulder the immediate impact of price increases because fuel expenses account for a significant portion of their daily operating costs.

Fuel expenses make up a large share of a public utility vehicle’s daily operating costs. Drivers, particularly jeepney operators, often rely on boundary systems or daily income targets, making them especially vulnerable to sudden increases in pump prices.

“Dahil sa laki ng nawawalang kita ng ating mga driver at operator… kailangan ibaba ang presyo ng petrolyo,” Floranda said.