A transport strike in Metro Manila caused significant commuter delays as various transport groups protest rising fuel prices, impacting daily travel for residents.
Metro Manila experienced widespread commuter disruptions on Thursday morning as various transport groups staged a two-day nationwide strike protesting the increasing fuel prices. The strike, organized by groups including MANIBELA, involved drivers of jeepneys, transport network vehicle services (TNVS), motorcycle taxis, buses, and UV Express vehicles. Authorities and the MANIBELA transport group reported that thousands of commuters were stranded in key areas such as Manila, Quezon City, Pasig, Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Malabon.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) spokesperson, Police Major Hazel Asilo, noted that some commuters were stranded because people still traveled despite the strike, attending school or work, thereby adding to the volume of stranded individuals. Rally sites across Metro Manila were monitored with no serious incidents reported.
The No To Oil Price Hike Coalition, a central organizer of the strike, gathered primarily on Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City, beginning their program at 6:00 a.m. The coalition demands include the removal of value-added tax (VAT) and excise taxes on petroleum products, rollback of fuel prices to 55 Philippine pesos per liter, repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, increased fares across all transportation modes, a family living wage of 1,200 pesos, and the nationalization of the oil industry to allow the government to directly manage fuel procurement and sales.
In response to the strike-related disruptions, government agencies arranged free rides for affected commuters to ease transit challenges. The coalition also linked high fuel prices to ongoing global conflicts, calling for peace to stabilize energy costs.
This event highlights the ongoing tension between rising operational costs for transportation workers and the economic pressures faced by commuters relying on public transportation in Metro Manila.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/981459/commuters-stranded-in-metro-manila-amid-transport-strike/story/
