No transport strike today

CEBU, Philippines — No transport group in Cebu is joining the week-long nationwide transport strike that begins today but the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 has nevertheless prepared some contingency measures just in case a strike.

Greg Perez, president of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu, assured the public that they are not holding any transport strike.

“Wala mi strike nga ipahigayon apan rally lang isip suporta sa panawagan sa PISTON-Manila. Pipila lang kanamo diri sa Cebu ang moapil sa maong rally nga amoa mapadagat sa LTFRB ang among kawsa,” Perez told The Freeman yesterday.

However, despite this assurance, LTFRB-7 regional director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said that they have contingency measures in case Cebu will join as they have prepared buses, UV Express, traditional jeepneys and modernized jeepneys ready to be deployed in routes that will be affected.

“Wala lang pud mi kompyansa. Naa mi gi andam nga mga contingency measures. We have buses prepared both in the South and North,” Montealto said.

The Cebu City Government has also a contingency plan for it, acting Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros said.

Representatives of transport groups such as Cebu Integrated Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Citrasco), PISTON-Cebu, Airland Taxi, and Metro Rapid Transit Service Inc. (MRTSI) earlier met with the City Hall officials as reported by the city’s PIO.

“No strike is declared for Cebu,” said Citrasco’s chairman Ryan Benjamin Yu.

Even before meeting with the mayor’s executive secretary, Atty.Collin Rosell, and other local officials and representatives, Hontiveros said they have already prepared buses for the riding public.

Some private schools in the city, accordingly, will have online classes instead.

The Department of Education had advised regional directors and superintendents to give schools flexibility to either conduct in-person or alternative delivery modes of learning at this time depending on the preference of the learners and their parents or guardian.

Cebu City Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) head Harold Alcontin disclosed that they are close to 20 buses.

For South District, the buses prepared by the city government will take the Bulacao – Pardo – Mambaling – Emall – Imus - SM route and vice-versa; Bulacao – Colon;  Colon – Labangon; Inayawan – Colon; and Mambaling – Emall – Colon route.

For North District, they will have Colon – Jakosalem – Ayala – Talamban;  Colon – SM;  Ayala – Talamban;  Colon – Capitol – Lahug – Apas and  Colon – Ayala – SM – Colon route and back.

“Di angay mokompyansa kay ang mayor sa Siyudad sa Sugbo, gusto nga naa gyud standby nga contingency plan ingkaso naa gyud kalihokan nga ipahigayon,” Alcontin said.

Rosell also said that Mayor Michael Rama, though on leave, already instructed the police force to ensure that peace and order will be in place.

The public is also encouraged to call 0932 537 7770 should they have a problem with transportation today.

The main demand of the striking drivers is for the LTFRB to revoke Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013, which stated that single operators who fail to meet the consolidation requirement by the deadline shall have their franchises or certificate of public convenience revoked on March 31, 2023.

The March 31, 2023 deadline, however, was extended until June 30, 2023 and extended again until the end of the year.

But transport leaders in Manila remained unconvinced on the said extension and still meet with strong opposition.

“Ang end of the year deadline is the deadline for the operators to consolidate their units, dili siya deadline para ma phase out ang mga jeepneys,” Montealto clarified.

After the rally at LTFRB-7 at 9:00 in the morning, BAYAN Central Visayas who supports PISTON-Cebu, will hold another rally against Charter Change or Cha-Cha in Cebu City.

BAYAN Central Visayas chairperson Jaime Paglinawan said that although President Bongbong Marcos has announced that Cha-Cha is not his priority, the House of Representatives has already approved Resolution No. 6 on the constitutional amendment and there is now a move to pass the same at the Senate.

“Amo ni supakon kay gawas sa pag open sa term limits ug pagwagtang sa probisyon sa anti-dynasty, i-open 100 percent sa langyaw ang ato kayutaan, negosyo ug mineral resources, plus tangtangon ang provision nga gadili sa US military bases sa ato nasud labina pagsulod sa armas nuclear,” Paglinawan said.

Paglinawan added that once anti-dynasty provision is stricken out, the various positions in government will become a family business. —/GMR (FREEMAN)