Philippine jeepney drivers protest over phase-out plan

MANILA - Philippine jeepney drivers staged a noisy protest in the capital Manila on Jan 16 over the government’s plan to

phase out the smoke-belching vehicles nationwide

and replace them with modern mini-buses.

Jeepneys – first made from leftover United States jeeps after World War II – are a national symbol in the Philippines and serve as the backbone of the country’s transport system.

They provide rides for millions of people across the country for as little as 13 pesos (31 Singapore cents).

Hundreds of protesters joined a convoy of more than 150 jeepneys as it drove through Manila in opposition to the phase-out plan, which was launched in 2017 as part of a programme to improve the country’s chaotic public transport system. It has been repeatedly delayed due to protests and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jeepney operators were given until the end of 2023 to join a cooperative, which will have two or three years to replace its fleet with modern vehicles that are safer and less polluting.

The cooperatives will be able to access bank financing and receive a government subsidy of between 200,000 pesos and 300,000 pesos per vehicle to ease the financial burden of the transition, officials said.

But drivers argue that joining a cooperative and buying a new vehicle will bury them in debt and they will not be able to earn enough money to survive. They will also be required to drive a fixed schedule, rather than the current system that allows them to work for as long and as often as they want.

“We are not against modernisation, what we are against is the system. They made a programme without consulting us,” said Mr Emilio Millares, 59, a jeepney driver for four decades who took part in the protest.

“We will continue to fight for these jeepneys and our livelihoods until our last breath.”

The police said about 50 jeepneys were in the Manila convoy. Protests were also held in other cities.

Jeepney driver Restituto Rocafort said he had almost paid off his vehicle and the phase-out plan would “only give me a huge debt”.

To meet his contribution to the cooperative, he would need to earn 7,000 pesos a day, compared with his current daily earnings of 600 to 700 pesos, he said.

Nearly 77 per cent of registered jeepneys in the country have joined cooperatives, while 97 per cent in Manila have consolidated, the transport bureau said.

Drivers who missed the Dec 31 deadline have been given permission to continue operating until the end of January.

Drivers fear they will struggle to find employment after Jan 31.

“I’m losing sleep, especially now that the grace period is ending in a few days,” said 55-year-old Mr Artemio Cinco. “I have eight children and many grandchildren. All are dependent on me.” AFP