Nearly 50 traditional jeepney drivers in Baclaran have been forced to stop operating due to continuous increases in fuel prices.

In a report by RH Jecelle Ricafort on DZRH's Damdaming Bayan, PISTON-Pasay Secretary Marilyn Lapitan said only about 10 of their members are still plying the Baclaran–Mabini and Harrison routes.

Lapitan said many drivers working under the boundary system have already quit, prompting some operators to personally drive their own units to keep them in service.

Several drivers have temporarily taken jobs in trucking and construction to support their families. Others are planning to return to their provinces but are still waiting for the ₱5,000 financial assistance promised by the national government.

At present, drivers reportedly take home only around ₱64 to ₱70 per day. Their daily earnings have dropped to between ₱600 and ₱800, which is often not enough to cover the high cost of diesel, leaving some of them operating at a loss.

Mang Jun, a jeepney driver in Baclaran, said he continues to endure the low income despite the hardship.

“Mataas, nasa 800. Kung ano naman, nasa 600, 500. Kung kokunsumo mo ka ng 700, abunado ka pa. Ako naman, kaysa hindi ka bibiyahe, magugutom ang pamilya. Tiis-tiis ka lang,” he said.

The oil shock was driven by attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil chokepoint has significantly affected oil-dependent economies in Asia.

However, on Thursday, April 2, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro secured Iran’s assurance of safe passage for Philippine vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the DFA announced.

The Philippines, which relies heavily on crude oil imports from Gulf countries, is among those impacted, with transport workers bearing the brunt of rising fuel prices.