Manibela to hold transport protest on January 16

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 5:11 p.m.) — Transport group Manibela will stage another protest this week to demand a halt to the implementation of the government's public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP).

Manibela president Mar Valbuena said that around 10,000 to 15,000 jeepney drivers and operators will participate in the protest on Tuesday, January 16. 

Despite Valbuena's announcement at a Sunday forum of a transport strike, the group later clarified on Facebook that they will instead stage a protest alongside PISTON

Jeepney drivers and operators protesting PUVMP, along with their supporters, will converge at the University of the Philippines Diliman and later head toward Mendiola in Manila. 

"Our call is not just to extend the provisional authority but to completely stop the implementation of the PUVMP because there's a lack of funds and the program was not studied thoroughly. [Jeepney drivers and operators] are also pressured and coerced," Valbuena said in Filipino. 

"Let's put the brakes on it," he added. 

The modernization program aims to replace jeepneys that are 15 or more years old with newer and cleaner units, and consolidate operators and drivers into cooperatives or corporations. 

However, the high cost of modern jeepney units, with some reaching up to P2.8 million, is a major factor driving opposition among drivers and operators, who fear financial hardship.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier said that those who failed to file an application to consolidate by December 31 could only operate until January 31.