Fuel price surge pushes jeepney drivers to the brink

At 51, Randy Legaspi of Batac City, Ilocos Norte continues to drive a jeepney to support his family, but rising diesel prices are steadily eroding his daily income, leaving little to take home.

Legaspi said what was once a modest but manageable daily earning has significantly declined, with most of his income now spent on fuel. “Almost everything we earn now goes to diesel,” he said.

He noted that P1,000 worth of diesel now buys only around eight liters. A single round trip from Batac to Paoay to Laoag consumes more than six liters, leaving minimal profit, particularly when passenger numbers are low. “If we don’t fill up the jeep with passengers, we already know we’re at a loss,” he added.

From earning over P1,000 a day, Legaspi now takes home about P500 or less—barely enough to cover the daily needs of his four children, all of whom are still in school. He said he has no alternative source of income.

“We just endure it because we have no other livelihood,” he said, adding that while he has considered returning to his previous work, doing so is not currently feasible. He also cited long queues and route competition as factors that prevent jeepneys from operating at full capacity, further reducing earnings.

A new fare matrix approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has yet to be implemented. Legaspi said it was later withdrawn, requiring drivers to continue using existing rates to avoid possible penalties. “We can’t use the new rates because we might get suspended,” he said.

Like many drivers nationwide, Legaspi is still awaiting the fuel subsidy promised by the government. As fuel prices continue to rise, drivers face shrinking incomes and increasing uncertainty as they struggle to sustain their livelihoods.