The transport strike in the country supposed to last for a week has ended, Malacañang announced on Wednesday, March 8, when the strike was about to enter its third day.
Transport group leaders Mar Valbuena, chairman of Manibela Transport Group, and Mody Florada, PISTON president, announced through a video posted by the Palace on Facebook that they are halting the planned week-long strike.
This came after a meeting between Valbuena and Florada, and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
The transport groups said they were ending the transport strike as they hold on to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s pronouncement that the implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program will be restudied.
“[U]pang masimulan ang diskurso, nagdesisyon ang aming grupo na ihinto ang transport strike kasama ng PISTON at magbalik pasada na simula bukas (In order for the discourse to begin, our group and PISTON decided to stop the transport strike and resume plying starting tomorrow),” Valbuena said.
They apologized to the commuters for the inconvenience their planned week-long transport strike caused, stressing that they are not against the government’s PUV modernization program.
“Ang grupong Manibela ay kaisa ng pamahalaan sa adhikaing makapagbigay ng maayos, kumportable, at ligtas na pampublikong transportasyon sa ating mga kababayan. Hindi namin hinahadlangan ang planong modernisasyon ng mga pampublikong sasakyan, sana lamang gawin ito sa pamamaraang walang mapag-iiwanan, makatao, at makatwiran (Manibela is one with the government in providing comfortable and safe public transportation to our fellowmen. We are not going against the PUV modernization program, we are only hoping it to be implemented in a humane and just way),” Valbuena said.
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“Panghahawakan namin ang pahayag ng ating mahal na pangulo Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. na bukas ang admnistrasyon sa pag-aaral at pagrebisa ng implementasyon ng PUV modernization program upang mapanatili ang kabuhayan ng ating mga PUV drivers at operators (We will hold on to the statement of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. that his administration is open to study and revise the PUV modernization program to ensure the continuous livelihood of our PUV drivers and operators),” Valbuena added.
The Palace, meanwhile, welcomed the decision of the transport groups to halt the strike.
Garafil said the President has ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to study the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) until Dec. 31.
Gararil said the DOTr and LTFRB will also conduct an intensive consultation to ensure a better implementation of the PUV modernization program for the benefit of drivers, operators, and commuters.
