PISTON: Cash aid is ‘not enough’
Transport group Piston and allies launch a nationwide strike at Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City on Thursday, 19 March 2026. Protesters are demanding a fuel price rollback and the abolition of VAT and excise tax on petroleum products. Similar protest actions are being held across the National Capital Region and other provinces.
Transport group PISTON said cash assistance from the government remains insufficient to meet the needs of jeepney drivers amid rising fuel costs.
PISTON president Mody Floranda said government aid has failed to keep pace with operating expenses that have surged in recent weeks.
“Kung ganito kalaki ang gastos ng drayber, kulang na kulang talaga ang ibinibigay na ayuda,” Floranda said, noting that current support barely offsets drivers’ losses.
He added that the assistance would not address the sector’s problems, as it would be outweighed by continued fuel price increases.
“We will only bring this P5,000 back to oil companies, instead of our families,” he said.
With diesel prices climbing beyond Php100 per liter, Floranda said traditional jeepneys—which consume around 30 liters daily—now spend more than Php3,000 a day on fuel alone.
He also argued that while measures are in place to shield commuters from fare increases, drivers are left to absorb the full impact of rising fuel prices with limited support.
Floranda warned that without additional assistance or broader measures to curb fuel costs, more drivers may be forced to stop operating.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board earlier approved a fare increase for public utility jeepneys, but Malacañang suspended its implementation to protect commuters from higher transport costs.