A week-long strike by drivers of Philippine jeepneys began on Monday, prompting schools and universities across major cities to suspend in-person classes, while businesses have also been urged to work from home.
The local authorities in Manila, Quezon City, Marikina, Muntinlupa and Pasig City in the national capital region told schools to switch to distance learning classes due to disruption caused by the strike. The local government of Quezon City, the most populous city in the Philippines, also called on businesses to work online.
Jeepneys, known as “the king of the road”, are a crucial part of the transport system in the Philippines, offering rides that are cheaper than trains, taxis or motorised tricycles.
The vehicles – which were originally adapted from military jeeps left by the US after the second world war – have iconic status, and are known for their colourful decorations.
However, the government says the vehicles are environmentally damaging and wants to replace them with more modern alternatives. Operators have been told to join cooperatives or corporations before the end of the year as part of modernisation plans, so that the sector is less fragmented.
Operators and drivers fear new guidelines could push out smaller operators and say the cost of upgrading vehicles will be completely unaffordable. A traditional jeepney costs between 150,000 to 250,000 Philippine pesos (£2,266 to £3,777), while a modern jeepney that is Euro 4-compliant can cost as much as 2.5m pesos (£37,723).
The 160,000 peso subsidy (£2,414) offered by the government isn’t enough, according to drivers, who are already struggling to recover from the impact of pandemic-related lockdowns, and the rising cost of fuel.
“It’s OK to have modernisation for those who have money,” jeepney driver Benito Garcia told the Associated Press at a protest on Monday. “But for us jeepney drivers and operators, we cannot afford.”
A jeepney driver’s average daily take-home pay is 755 pesos (£11.69), according to data cited by Senator Grace Poe.
Manibela, one of the transport groups that announced the strike, said about 80% of the jeepney operations in Metro Manila were affected.
However, in a statement on Monday, the communications office of the president, Ferdinand Marcos, said there was “no disruption except in a handful of routes in the National Capital Region”. Buses had been provided to assist commuters, it said, adding that at least 11 jeepney and utility vehicle groups in Metro Manila opposed the strike.
The education secretary, Sara Duterte, called the strike “communist-inspired” and “a painful interference in our efforts to address the learning gaps and other woes in our education system”.
