In the statement released by the transportation group Manibela last Sunday, they announced a scheduled strike on January 16 (Tuesday) to protest the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program.
Manibela President Mar Valbuena stated that the strike would commence at 9 a.m., involving various groups from different parts of the country marching from Diliman in Quezon City to Mendiola in Manila. “Hindi bababa ng 15,000 [katao] ang magmamartsa papuntang Mendiola. Nationwide po – lahat po ng napilitan lamang at hindi pa nagco-consolidate” said Valbuena. Following his announcement, Valbuena once again criticized the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP), warning of potential job losses for thousands of workers in the transportation sector in the National Capital Region (NCR) alone.
The PUVMP aims to replace old public utility vehicles with modern versions equipped with facilities such as GPS, CCTV, and other technologies. However, according to Valbuena, this could result in countless job losses in the transportation sector.
At present, thousands of drivers and operators of public utility vehicles are expected to participate in a unified force against the PUVMP. While the government hopes that the program will contribute to safer and more efficient transportation in the country, some transportation sectors continue to oppose it, foreseeing potential impacts on their livelihoods.