THERE will be no transport strike in Cagayan de Oro or elsewhere in the Northern Mindanao Region tomorrow.

This was the statement made by regional transport group leader Joel Gabatan over a radio interview this morning.

“Ma-postpone among transport pahulay ugmang adlawa kay adunay negotiation sa gobyerno nga nagpadayon karong adlawa,” clarified Gabatan.

This, as the transport group, expects an increase of diesel products tomorrow to either P12 or up to P14 per liter.

Gabatan, however, said that the transport strike will go on as scheduled tomorrow in other parts of the country such as in the Bicol region, involving around 15,000 rela drivers under Ariel Lim, the head of the National Public Transport Coalition.

“Nagka-kontakay kami nga padayon ilang kalihokan. Walay welga sa kadalanan pahulay lang sa pasada,” Gabatan said.

The supposed nationwide strike intends to pressure the government into suspending the fuel excise amid successive hikes in pump prices apparently aggravated by powerful Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Gabatan said the promised release of the government’s P2.5-billion fuel subsidy had played a major role in the cancellation of “transport pahulay” in this northern part of Mindanao.

The transport group, Gabatan said, is also demanding the approval and implementation of “service contracting” of which the government will provide a counterpart of the jeepney fare.

“This way, dili na bug-at sa pasahero ang pletehan kay kontento na ang mga drivers nga walay increase,” Gabatan explained.

Ariel Inton, the president of the Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection, had earlier said that transport workers could no longer depend on the government’s assurances to provide relief.

Inton said that more pressing action was preferable to promises, thereby pushing them instead to demand the suspension of the excise tax as a virtual long-term solution in the face of spiraling pump prices.

Local transport leaders Raul Malubay, Clark Garcines, and Joe Sayson were one in supporting whatever decision Gabatan would come up in line with the negotiation initiated by the national government.

“Adunay walo ka rota kining amo nga andam moduyog sa transport pahulay kon adunay mando sa grupo,” Malubay said.

His group comprising some 200 Pier liners under the umbrella of the Mindanao Daily Express Cooperative, Garcines said they're just waiting also for Gabatan’s go-signal.

“Makita man gyod ang kahago ug paningkamot sa mga drivers. Unta mahatagan og higayon nga madungog among problema,” Garcines said.

The Lapasan area, Sayson said, has some 24 operators and over 20 drivers that are now struggling with the staggering rise of pump prices.

“Lisod gyod karon among sitwasyon sa pagpamasayro. Kon ugaling madayon, ubanan ta kini kay para man sa kaayohan sa tanan,” Sayson said.