By Ashley Erika O. Jose and Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporters
TRANSPORT GROUP Manibela will stage a three-day nationwide strike starting April 15 to protest high fuel prices and what it described as government inaction, raising the chance of transport disruptions in key urban centers.
“We’re declaring a nationwide transport strike to protest against the federal government, especially the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation’s negligence, and the way oil corporations are benefiting from the oil crisis,” Manibela Chairman Mar S. Valbuena told a news briefing on Monday.
He said other transport groups are expected to hitch the motion, including ride-hailing, taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers, potentially widening the scope of the disruption beyond traditional public utility vehicles (PUVs).
He said the group is looking for a rollback of as much as P57 a liter in fuel prices and the suspension of value-added tax on petroleum products to ease the burden on drivers and operators facing higher costs.
He added that the deferment of fare increases has further squeezed earnings within the sector.
“There needs to be relief for drivers and operators,” Mr. Valbuena said, referring to the federal government’s decision to suspend fare adjustments.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last month deferred a scheduled increase in PUV fares to assist cushion commuters from rising costs, a move that transport groups said shifted the burden to drivers.
Malacañang on Monday said the planned strike is “premature,” warning that it could worsen the impact of the energy situation linked to war within the Middle East.
“We will see what the President and the administration are doing and have done for the transport sector,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a separate news briefing in Filipino. “They’re being prioritized.”
She said the federal government is addressing the concerns of transport staff and urged groups to interact in dialogue as an alternative of staging a strike.
The strike wouldn’t help address the impact of the Middle East crisis, Ms. Castro said, adding that what is required is negotiation and cooperation.
Fuel prices have surged in recent weeks following the US-Israel war on Iran, cutting into the take-home pay of drivers and prompting calls for extra government support.
In response, the federal government has rolled out subsidies, including a P5,000 fuel subsidy for drivers through the Department of Transportation, on top of money assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The LTFRB is about to deploy service PUVs on select routes starting April 15 under a service contracting program funded by the 2026 General Appropriations Act. This system compensates drivers and operators to offer free rides to commuters while ensuring continued income for transport staff.
In Metro Manila, this system will cover the EDSA Bus Carousel and routes served by modern and traditional jeepneys, including those linked to Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit stations and other major transport hubs.
Authorities said this system is supposed to cushion the impact of reduced transport supply through the strike and support each commuters and drivers affected by rising fuel costs.
The Department of Energy said fuel prices might ease within the near term, with diesel expected to say no by P20.89 per liter, gasoline by P4.43, and kerosene by P8.50 starting on Tuesday as a consequence of market adjustments.
Nevertheless, officials warned that price movements remain volatile and depending on global developments, particularly within the Middle East, where disruptions to produce routes could trigger further spikes.
Transport groups have also urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to contemplate using emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel, a measure that would provide broader relief across the sector.
The President on Monday said he approved the suspension of excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene to melt the impact of rising fuel costs on households, while leaving levies on gasoline and diesel unchanged.
The selective suspension is predicted to offer modest relief to household budgets but can have limited effect on transport costs and inflation, that are more sensitive to diesel prices.