The government’s financial assistance of ₱5,000 is not sufficient, said a transport group on Friday, as jeepneys use up around ₱3,000 daily on fuel alone and have been taking home meagre amounts due to surging pump prices.
In an exclusive interview with DZRH on Balansyado, Piston National President Mody Floranda said that the ₱5,000 aid will only cover one and a half days’ worth of fuel.
“Kapag tiningnan po natin, maliit ‘yung sinasabing ayuda ng gobyerno, at kakainin lamang ito ng halos one and a half days ng ating mga drivers at operators, lalo na sa ngayon na umabot na sa ₱120 per liter ang presyo ng diesel, ay sa bawat isang araw ay magco-consume kami ng ₱3,600,” Floranda explained, emphasizing that public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers are calling on the government to junk the Oil Deregulation Law and suspend excise taxes and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel.
“Kaya ang panawagan po natin, basta patanggalin talaga ng gobyerno—‘yung usapin nung pag-alis nung matataas na buwis sa produktong petrolyo para hindi lamang ‘yung isang sektor ang makinabang, kundi makinabang ang ating mamamayan,” he added.
Floranda told the anchors that in the past weeks, jeepney drivers have been earning only around ₱200 to ₱300 every day, even after 12- to 18-hour shifts.
“Sa ngayon at kahit ‘yung mga nakaraang linggo, ay dati nakakapag-uwi pa ang mga driver natin ng mga ₱500 hanggang ₱800. Sa ngayon po, halos ₱200 hanggang ₱300 na lamang ‘yung nauuwi sa kanilang pamilya, sa panahon na kanilang biyahe na halos umaabot ng 12-18 hours na pamamasada dahil napupunta na lamang sa mataas na presyo nga po ng petrolyo,” the transport group leader revealed.
He explained that one liter of diesel translates to a distance of only two kilometers. Jeepney drivers in Project 3, he said, burn through 30 liters a day, and those on the Baclaran-Divisoria route need 27 liters a day—that, multiplied by about ₱100/L of fuel amounts to over ₱2,700.
Moreover, rising oil prices go hand in hand with the rising cost of basic goods, Floranda said. In this way, the upcoming oil price hike will also negatively impact workers, as their salaries will no longer cover all their expenses.
The transport group will not cease its protests, the Piston president said, until the Oil Deregularion Law is scrapped and the excise tax and VAT are suspended while the oil crisis continues.
“Hangga’t hindi niro-rollback hanggang sa ₱55 per liter ‘yung presyo ng petrolyo (hindi kami titigil)… sapagkat nagdudulot ng patuloy na hirap sa ating mga driver, mga operator, at mamamayan,” he said.
In the meantime, jeepney drivers will continue operations in order to serve their countrymen, Floranda said.
“Sa akin naman po ay sinisikap natin, kahit papaano, kahit mahirap ay sisikapin pa rin natin at tayo ay makapag-serbisyo sa ating mga mamamayan dahil na wala namang ibang magseserbisyo sa taumbayan,” he said.
