Save the jeepneys: Philippine enterprise leaders be a part of name to droop modernisation of ‘cultural icon’ – Cyber Tech

Ortiz-Luis Jnr is an honorary chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Trade (PCCI) and the honorary chairman and president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

Each the PCCI and ECOP, together with the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc, are members of the “Leaders Discussion board” for the enterprise aspect, whereas the Commerce Union Congress of the Philippines, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Heart of United and Progressive Staff) and Federation of Free Staff signify the labour aspect.

The group issued a press release on Sunday saying: “We imagine that this programme, which incorporates the phaseout of jeepneys – a cultural icon within the Philippines – will influence the livelihoods of numerous jeepney operators, drivers, and their households.

“We name for an pressing evaluate of the PUVMP to handle its authorized, monetary and human rights infirmities. It’s evident that the rules of a ‘simply transition’ haven’t been upheld within the formulation, execution, and oversight of the PUVMP.”

The federal government’s Public Utility Automobile Modernisation Program (PUVMP) requires drivers to switch jeepney models which might be no less than 15 years outdated with eco-friendly fashions to type co-operatives and proceed working.

Authorities companies accountable for public transport positioned the whole variety of present jeepney models nationwide at 222,617, of which 69 per cent or 153,787 models had joined the programme as of January 1.

In its assertion, nevertheless, the group cited flaws within the programme that affected jeepney operators, together with the shortage of session over the design of contemporary jeepneys or different autos.

“There was no compensation for the give up of their present models. Moreover, the importation of contemporary jeepneys, which vary from 2.5 to three million pesos for an imported car, is prohibitively costly, making possession unfeasible for a lot of, even with amortisation choices,” it added.

The group additionally famous that forcing jeepney drivers to consolidate by becoming a member of co-operatives “usually with out real consent or equitable participation – is in opposition to the spirit of cooperativism and more likely to result in important collective-action issues.”

The phasing out of jeepneys with out offering an inexpensive different for working-class commuters “might create a domino impact on home companies and the financial system, probably elevating the price of dwelling and feeding into inflation”, the group warned.

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Philippines in Focus: Jeepneys in Jeopardy

Philippines in Focus: Jeepneys in Jeopardy

When requested why the group didn’t submit the assertion to the presidential palace, Ortiz-Luis Jnr informed This Week in Asia that “we simply supported” the jeepney drivers and operators this time, and “it’s as much as them [presidential palace] to give you no matter motion they want to do”.

The Leaders Discussion board was fashioned on the peak of the pandemic with the purpose of selling industrial peace. It urged then president Rodrigo Duterte to launch “ayuda” or monetary help to the general public transport drivers affected by the pandemic.

Ortiz-Luiz Jnr mentioned Sunday’s assertion had been issued in the identical spirit because the discussion board’s earlier name for Duterte’s administration to assist the jeepney drivers through the pandemic, when the federal government’s ban on public transport put the drivers’ livelihood in danger.

The Marcos Jnr authorities has to date not budged on the Tuesday deadline. The president mentioned throughout a city corridor assembly on April 10 that there can be no deadline extension for the modernisation initiative “[because] we very badly want it”.

Nonetheless, he promised he would guarantee drivers “won’t be closely burdened by [the] amortisation and mortgage[s] they may incur”.

Roberto Martin, president of the Pasang Masda jeepney transport group, informed Marcos Jnr on the city corridor assembly that the jeepney sector was already consolidated nationwide by “nearly 86 per cent” as of the primary week of April, with 191,450 models having joined the initiative, leaving solely 31,167 models unconsolidated.

Transport teams on strike, nevertheless, identified that many of the unconsolidated models had been plying essential transport routes in Metro Manila.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) mentioned on Fb on April 19 that every jeepney operator can be given 365,000 pesos (US$6,320) in money to assist with the acquisition of a Euro-4 compliant trendy jeepney.

The putting operators, nevertheless, known as the quantity “too little”.

The federal government has as but made no point out of any help for drivers who refuse to hitch the programme, with the Leaders Discussion board noting that “38,000 will lose their jobs”.

Teams against the consolidation similar to Manibela and Piston (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide or United Group of Drivers and Operators Nationwide) weren’t invited to Marcos Jnr’s city corridor assembly.

Each teams, which have a complete of almost 200,000 members nationwide, collectively launched a three-day strike on Monday.

Manibela, which stands for Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon (Affiliation of Drivers, Commuters and Terminal Transport Teams), additionally known as on the Supreme Court docket to difficulty a short lived restraining order on the federal government’s consolidation programme.

Research have proven that the majority of jeepney drivers, who belong to the nation’s poorest sector, are among the many most weak once they lose their livelihoods.

The LTFRB mentioned it will give unconsolidated jeepneys a 15-day grace interval after the Tuesday deadline – which stays unchanged – to function, after which the autos can be impounded and the drivers fined.