THE TRANSPORT STRIKE'S POLITICAL MILITANCY

March 6 saw the people’s vigor in full display. Across the Metro from morning until night, protesters in political solidarity flocked together in camps and strike centers: hardly any jeeps, if any at all, could be found on the main thoroughfares. Collective action continued the next day, until the Palace was forced to concede.

The fight continues versus franchising guidelines, but Malacañang’s commitment to review the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) with stakeholders symbolizes a hard-earned tactical victory on the part of the thousands of jeepney and UV Express drivers who halted operations and took to the streets to register their calls.

Mass protest actions opposing the PUVMP have been conducted since 2017. Indeed, the proposed price point for the selling of these modern jeepneys (E-Jeeps) and mini-buses have always been exorbitantly high for the common driver at 1.6 to 2.3 million Pesos each. Landbank’s “special loan program” for operators to buy E-Jeeps, meanwhile, stands at a six percent interest rate over a seven-year period; overall, costs can skyrocket to more than 3 million Pesos just for a single driver.

With the recent dialogue, the Marcos-Duterte administration has allowed for the rehabilitation of old jeeps into ‘modern’ standards; in other words, the buying of new PUVs is no longer mandatory. Yet the junking of the dangerous Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (DO 2017-011) remains a pertinent call.

Under the term “franchise consolidation”, the LTFRB has designed that the E-Jeep falls into the hands of the big monopoly capitalist; only they, after all, will have the capacity to operate the expensive minimum of 15 units in a given route. Manny V. Pangilingan alone invested more than a billion pesos last 2022 for 530 E-Jeeps. Corporate take-over spells the loss of livelihood for individual and small franchise holders, and thus, countless jeepney drivers and the 2 million families dependent on their wages.

The PUVMP is a ploy for corporate franchise capture, and foreign capitalists are set to benefit the most. Instead of being locally produced, the parts for E-Jeeps are 100% imported.

It is essentially neoliberalism rearing its oppressive head into the realm of public transport. Modernization has never been the problem, but rather, blatant privatization.

We’ve seen the effect of corporate consortiums taking control over transport with the MRT-LRT: privatization does not equal quality. It is a flagrant contradiction: if these vehicles are meant for the average public commuter, then why must it be privatized? Why must the government look towards large corporations to fix problems they must account for?

Other countries—such as those in Europe and East Asia—utilize state-run public transport. If well-maintained and of-quality, a system like this reduces road congestion, allows commuters to travel from Point A to B comfortably, and provides decent wage and working conditions for its drivers and operators.

Ka Bong Baylon of Piston also explains that for every 3000 pieces needed for the manufacturing of new jeeps, dozens of factories could be built to help create jobs, and more importantly, aid in establishing industries and an economy not dependent on foreign imports. In other words, modernized national industry.

Instead of this, Malacañang seems content with permitting corporate theft. Understanding the transport strike is to understand the necessity of radically militant political action amid repressive state policy, and the rumbling contradictions within a transport system that has long been in the throes of crisis.

For a worker, to strike is to bravely put one’s livelihood on hold for collective political action. Many of the drivers are breadwinners—feeding not only themselves but also the mouths of children and spouses. If anything, the success of the tigil-pasada movement after a mere two days shows how the power of economic production truly lies in the hands of the toiling masses. Organized working class strength is infinite if mobilized to the streets.

But perhaps the biggest political gain was the elevation of the plight of jeepney and PUV operators in the national con- sciousness, as well as the widespread solidarity shown by the public for the strike. Pushback against Vice President Sara Duterte’s irresponsible, red-tagging comments is evidence of this. But it can also be found in the countless amounts of people aside from PUV operators who attended the strikes, who listened to the drivers’ concerns, who unified with the calls and demands of the sector—from commuters to students and other laborers.

What is clear is that decisive political action and victories do not begin and end from within the bounds of bureaucratic government. The transport strike is testament to the power of the parliament of the streets.

In the final analysis—it is the masses who make history. The right to protest is also a right to change.

“Narito ang listahan ng mga lugar na nag-anunsyo ng walang pasok dulot ng tumataas na kaso ng COVID-19 sa bansa…” Katahimikan.

Sa paglipas ng mga oras, araw, at linggo—unti-unting napupuno ang telebisyon ng mga impormasyon ukol sa pagdami ng bilang nang nahahawaan ng COVID-19, masalimuot na sitwasyon sa mga ospital at hindi pagbibigay pahintulot sa mga mamamayan na lumabas ng kani-kanilang tahanan kung hindi kinakailangan.

Ang dapat na ilang araw lamang na suspensyon ng klase ay umabot sa puntong pati ang mga manggagawa ay hindi na rin maaaring makapaghanap-buhay na naging daan din sa pagsasara ng ilang establisyimento.

Tila hindi makita ang hangganan ng pandemya at walang kasiguraduhan kung kailan makakawala sa pagkulong at pag-kontrol ng gobyerno sa masa.

Ang maingay na kalsada noon ay biglang nakakabingi ang katahimikan ngayon.

PAPET

Sa panahon ng pandemya, ang pisikal na distansya sa pagitan ng mga tao ay patuloy na lumalaki, habang tila’y nawawalan na ng espasyo para sa mga protesta buhat ng mga restriksyon na ipinapatupad ng pamahalaan.

Subalit, hindi natinag ang mga pusong nag-aalab para sa tunay na pagbabago.

Umusbong pa rin ang nagdadagsaang demonstrasyon na nagtataguyod para sa iba't ibang makabuluhang bagay. Lahat ng ito ay nagmula sa isang motibo—ang kagustuhan ng pagbabago sa tugon ng pamahalaan sa pandemya.

Ang mga propesyonal sa sektor ng pangkalusugan, aktibista, empleyado, miyembro ng media, mag-aaral, at pangkaraniwang mamamayan—lahat ay nakibahagi sa mga protesta na ito. Nagmula ang hinaing sa kakulangan ng gobyerno sa pagsuporta sa pangangailangan, pinansyal at pagkain, at ang wastong polisiya upang kontrolin ang virus.

Gayunpaman, habang isinasabuhay ng mga tao ang kanilang karapatan sa mapayapang pagpapahayag, ang mga awtoridad naman ay nag-utos