Malacañang said Friday, December 5 that the government is open to dialogue with the transport group Manibela to address issues affecting its members’ livelihood.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Bongbong Marcos directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to review the group’s concerns.
“The DOTr leadership has been instructed to carefully look into the concerns of the Manibela group. If their complaints have a valid basis, they should be addressed and resolved immediately,” Castro said.
Manibela, which represents bus employees and laborers, announced a three-day transport strike starting December 9 to protest issues related to government document processing and high penalties.
Castro encouraged the group to cooperate, especially during the busy Christmas season.
“We should also take the initiative with the Manibela group. Since it’s the Christmas season, perhaps you can treat this as a goodwill gesture and discuss their concerns. Talk about it so it can be resolved quickly,” she added.