JEEPNEY drivers in Cagayan de Oro continued to operate as usual today despite a call for a nationwide strike against the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's modernization program, which aims to phase out jeepneys.
Many of the drivers claimed that they were not informed of the strike.
Joseph Elmar Cantile, a driver on the Iponan route, said he would have supported the strike had he known about it.
“They (leaders) did not inform us about the strike that’s why I plied my route today. Had they informed us, I would have joined because I understand that this is for our own benefit,” Cantile said.
Another jeepney driver, Cerelo Pikit-pikit Sr., who serves the Zayas, Carmen route, said the call for the strike was not discussed in their last meeting with their leader, Joel Gabatan.
“I only knew about the transport strike on the radio. Joel Gabatan did not bring it up in our last meeting,” he said.
Manibela, a public transport group, had initially called for the strike, which was supported by the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston).
The Solidarity of Transport Associations in Region X (Starex), an affiliate of Piston in Northern Mindanao, remained inactive due to the leader's health issues since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
Starex is one of the major public transport organizations in Cagayan de Oro and the Northern Mindanao region. It was responsible for numerous strikes in the past that crippled public transportation in this part of the country.
Meanwhile, the relatively new Northern Mindanao Federation of Transport Service Cooperatives opted not to participate in the strike, citing that at least 20 transport service cooperative members have already started complying with the modernization program requirements, comprising 45% of their total membership.
Cong Corrales is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.
