QUEZON CITY, Philippines — Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators led by the transport group Manibela initiated a three-day nationwide strike on Monday, September 28, timed alongside the implementation of newly approved fare increases, to urge government intervention against unrelenting fuel price hikes.
The three-day protest action, scheduled to run through September 30, began on Monday morning with a vehicle caravan. Ride-hailing transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers and motorcycle taxi riders marched from UP Avenue to a Petron station in Philcoa, Quezon City.
Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena addressed the root of the protest, emphasizing the severe economic strain inflicted by relentless diesel and gasoline price surges on daily transport operations:
”For MANIBELA, drivers and operators can no longer absorb the continued increase in fuel prices. With every increase in diesel prices, operating costs rise while the income brought home for their families becomes smaller.”
Valbuena noted that short-term government aid and temporary fuel subsidies fail to offer lasting stability if petroleum rates keep climbing.
He emphasized that structural, long-term interventions are urgent to safeguard the livelihoods of transport workers and small-scale operators.
To address the crisis, the coalition is urging the government to enact immediate measures, including lowering petroleum prices, granting additional fare adjustments, waiving excise tax and value-added tax (VAT) on fuel, and reviewing the existing Oil Deregulation Law.
This demonstration follows an earlier two-day strike held by the group on September 14 and 15 over similar economic grievances. According to Manibela, escalating fuel expenses have spread far beyond traditional jeepneys to affect TNVS units, motorcycle taxis, and logistics truckers.
The group added that customs brokers, port truckers, and commercial importers are also considering joining the protest due to rising diesel expenses and broader operational bottlenecks within cargo transport.