BALI - For nearly 40 years, Mr Aristiyo Caraan has driven one of Manila's ubiquitous jeepney minibuses, the transport mainstay for construction workers, cleaners and other modestly paid workers that charges fares of only a few cents.
Before fuel prices started their dizzying ascent last year to levels unseen for at least a decade, Mr Caraan, 64, would take home roughly 1,000 pesos (S$25) a day - enough to send his kids to school and feed his family.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you