No Jeepney Phaseout During Pandemic - Poe

Jeepney
No jeepney phaseout during

pandemic – Poe
Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star

) - August 20, 2020 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The government’s planned phaseout of traditional
jeepneys will not be implemented during the coronavirus pandemic as
provided under the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan
2, Sen. Grace Poe said yesterday.
Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, said commuters
lack transportation and phasing out old jeepneys would only add up to the
burden of the riding public.
She said the modernization program of public utility vehicles (PUV), which
would totally sideline traditional jeepneys is “inhumane in this time of
pandemic.”
“Jeepneys should be allowed on the road as long as they are roadworthy, not
smoke belchers and complying with the safety and health protocols,” Poe said
during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
Under the Bayanihan 2, Poe said the government would provide financial
assistance and vouchers to help jeepney drivers provide food for their
families.
Poe noted that only 10 percent of the 400,000 PUV drivers received financial
aid from local government units.
“What is disappointing is the fact that fewer jeepney drivers received financial
assistance from the government. No wonder, they resorted to begging on the
streets so their families can buy food,” Poe said.
Traditional jeepneys were allowed to resume operations in Metro Manila
under general community quarantine guidelines.
Transport group PISTON asked the Land Transportation Franchising and

Regulatory Board to allow more jeepneys to operate in their original routes.
The group vowed to oppose the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys. –

Mayen Jaymalin
What you should know about the

jeepney phaseout program
By
Erika Cruz
-
Feb 7, 2018
The government calls it modernization. Transport groups believe

it to be a phaseout scheme to allow the takeover of private
businesses in the transport industry. Manila Today weighs in on
the issue by looking at the facts about the PUV modernization
program.
1. The PUV modernization program
The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) is the

government’s plan to provide Filipino commuters a “safe, adequate,
comfortable, and environment-friendly road-based public transportation
system”. This program is spearheaded by the Department of Transportation
(DOTr) with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Under the Omnibus Guidelines on the Planning and Identification of Public

Road Transportation Services and Franchise Issuances or Department Order
2017-011 (Omnibus Franchising Guidelines) issued by the DOTr, jeepneys
operating for 15 years or more will be scrapped because, as the government
claims, these units are no longer road-worthy – the engines aren’t compliant
with international standards and thus cause environmental harm. They say the
size of the old jeepneys are inadequate, resulting in traffic congestion from
passengers rushing to be seated first.
The program also covers buses and public utility vans, but has been giving
emphasis on the replacement of ageing jeepneys with new units.
2. Out with the old, in with the new
We may have to say goodbye to the iconic post-war jeepney. In an expo

organized late last year by the DOTr and the Department of Trade and
Industry, the riding public had a peek at the new jeepney’s design. The 22-
seater vehicle, from which passengers enter and exit at the side, is equipped
with a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, free Wi-Fi, closed
circuit television (CCTV), an automatic fare collection system, a speed limiter,
and a dashboard camera. The units have Euro 4-compliant engines or solar
panels on the roof for electrically-powered ones.
Of course, all this comes with a hefty price. While drivers and small operators
recognize the need for maintaining the safety and road-worthiness of their
jeepneys, they can’t afford the e-jeeps – P1.4 million to P1.6 million for air-
conditioned units; P1.1 million to P1.4 million for non-air-conditioned units; up
to P1.6 million for solar-powered units; and P1 million to P1.5 million for units
with Euro 4 engines. That’s more than twice the amount they shell out for the
traditional jeep.
Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON)

casts doubt on the durability of the new jeepneys. According to the transport
group, these new units can’t compete with the traditional ones’ capacity to
carry heavy loads, as well as their endurance to floods and long (almost 24-
hour) shifts. It can be recalled that in 2015, a City Optimized Managed Electric
Transport (COMET) caught fire and burned down in the middle of transporting
passengers in Quezon City.
3. Fleet management
Operators will be needing a minimum capital of P20 million for its fleet of new
jeepneys. Under the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines, only operators with a
minimum of 20 units will be granted a franchise. The minimum requirement
will be 40 units by 2019. The DOTr asserts that grouping operators under
“bigger and coordinated” fleets would be beneficial to drivers and operators by
collectivizing services such as repair, maintenance, cleaning and by giving
operators discounts on fuel and spare parts. Operators owning larger fleets
will be given incentives and higher priority.
The OFG in essence transforms the scale of operation from small operators
owning a single unit or a small fleet into private corporations handling a large
fleet.
PISTON’s George San Mateo sees the DOTr’s move as a form of union
busting. He argues that given the militant history of transport groups,
corporate takeover of public transport would result in the suppression of
drivers’ and the riding public’s rights.
San Mateo adds: “Kikita na nga ang mga malalaking korporasyon,

mahahawakan pa nila ang mga asosasyon at samahan.”
(Not only do big corporations profit from [the jeepney phaseout]; they get to
have the upper hand over [driver-operator] associations.)
4. Salary system and work benefits
The PUV modernization program also introduces to drivers a monthly salary

system with work benefits. Instead of following the “boundary” system, where
drivers need to earn a quota every driving shift, drivers will become salaried
workers of corporate fleet heads.
Piston, while amenable to drivers being salaried workers under a nationalized

transport system, decries the proposal. Thing is, the PUV modernization
program is antithetical to a nationalized transport system.
“Mag magiging matindi ang pagsasamantala sa mga tsuper sa ilalim ng

salary system. Sa kasalukuyang kondisyon ng paggawa sa Pilipinas, hindi
magiging regular na manggagawa ang mga tsuper dahil mababa ang
compliance sa regularisasyon. Kailangang itrato ang mga jeepney driver
bilang mga regular na kawani ng gobyerno dahil public utility ang
transportasyon,” argues San Mateo.
(Exploitation experienced by the drivers will worsen under the salary system.
Given current labor conditions in the Philippines, drivers won’t become regular
workers because the compliance rate for regularizing workers is low. Drivers
need to be treated as regular government workers because transportation is a
public utility.)
The transport group also contends that a quota system still exists under a
fleet management structure. This subjects drivers to high quotas, meaning,
they will have to work longer hours in order to receive their wages.
Some jeepney drivers may not have a chance to drive those new jeepneys, as
there is an educational and age requirement under fleet management.
5. Route rationalization
With the ultimate aim of decongesting traffic in urban areas, the

modernization program will also implement the rationalization of routes in
accordance with local government units’ public transport plans. This scheme
will determine the most suitable mode of transportation for a particular route
depending on passenger demand and existing road networks.
The OFG also closes or shortens traditional PUV routes – restricting jeepneys
on major roads – making way for the light rail transit and rapid bus transit.
This puts the PUVs in danger of being displaced along these routes.
6. Loans and government support
The PUV modernization program’s proponents teamed up with the Land Bank
of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP)
with the aim of providing loans for drivers and operators wanting to acquire
the new jeepneys with prices ranging from P1.1 million to P1.6 million. The
government likewise approved a P2.2 million subsidy for the equity of jeepney
loans of 28,000 drivers/ operators. The borrowers can avail P80,000 in
subsidy through the LBP.
By the LBP’s estimates, it could give loans for 650 to 700 units. The DBP
calculates its P1.5 loan portfolio to acquire around 700 to 900 PUV units. The
borrowers can own the jeepney, but only after seven years of turning over
P800 a day at 6% interest. The bank will pay up to 95% of the cost of acquiring
the unit and the borrower will pay 5% as equity.
Piston asserts that it will be a burden to drivers/ operators to pay P800 a day
for seven years. It is already hard for them to make ends meet given the
current P450 boundary, the group argues.
7. Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok
Just this January, the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT) started with
their campaign to check PUVs’ roadworthiness. The campaign, called
‘Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok’, aims to go after jeepneys that do not comply
with road safety standards.
For PISTON, ‘Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok’ is a covert attempt by the

government to implement jeepney phaseout. The groups says that if the DOTr
were earnest in making jeepneys roadworthy, they should give drivers and
operators some leeway to make repairs on their vehicles instead of
immediately charging fines or having their jeepneys impounded.
The riding public has been vocal about the government not having planned
well enough amid the shortage of jeepneys on Metro Manila streets.
8. Corporate capture and service to foreign interests
Think tank IBON warns that while the jeepney phaseout will scrap 250,000
jeepneys, it would mean big business to foreign manufacturers and the
government. Replacing 250,000 jeepneys spells a market of P300 billion given
the minimum P1.2 million to manufacture a new unit. The new vehicles’ main
parts will still be imported from foreign companies like Hino, Isuzu, Fuso, and
Foton. Euro IV engines will come from India, China, and Japan. One of the
biggest companies specializing in e-jeepneys is a Taiwanese Company.
The monopolization and corporatization of public transport ultimately serves

the neoliberal economic framework of the Duterte administration. Drivers and
operators put the concept of neoliberalism simply: anti-people policies and
more profit for the rich at the expense of the poor.
9. Who will be affected?
The Crispin B. Beltran Resource Center (CBBRC) estimates that the jeepney
phaseout will affect 500,000 drivers, 300,000 operators, and around two
million of their family members.
The phaseout will cause massive displacement or unemployment of drivers.

Many drivers will not be able to pass certain requirements like age,
educational attainment, and exams.
Fare hikes will be unavoidable. According to the CBBRC, minimum jeepney

fare is pegged to increase to P12 to P20 once the new units start plying the
streets. Commuters as early as now have been airing their concern over
inevitable fare hikes while wages and salary remain the same.
The riding public have had the load put on their shoulders because of the
government’s practice of turning over mass transport over to private
corporations. An example of this is the LRT 1 when the government assured
the private sector of fare hikes in exchange for the latter’s handling of train
operations and maintenance.
10. Transport strikes
In December last year, PISTON national president George San Mateo was

arrested for allegedly violating Commonwealth Act 146 or the Public Service
Law. The case arose from a complaint filed by the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). According to the complaint, San
Mateo overstepped the LTFRB’s Memorandum Circular 2011-04 – stating the
revised conditions for the granting of certificates of public convenience – for
leading a transport strike in February 2017.
Senator Grace Poe questioned the arrest, saying that citizens have the right to
peaceably assemble and that it was unclear what exactly San Mateo violated
under the Public Service Law.
The No To Jeepney Phaseout Coalition and PISTON have held several

transport strikes last year to protest the government’s PUV modernization
program. Malacañang responded by suspending work and classes, something
that sparked the ire of Pres. Duterte. He threw profanities at the striking
drivers and told them that he did not care if they went hungry.
While the government is taking a small step forward in its intention to make
public transport safer and more efficient, it is taking two steps back by failing
to take into account the millions that will be adversely affected by loss of
livelihood and higher fares.
Our interviews with jeepney drivers and operators reveal that they are not
against modernization, but they worry that the government’s definition of
modernization excludes them, the very ones who help the riding public move
to and from schools, workplaces, and elsewhere. It seems that the
government’s modernization program gives priority to profit and service to big
corporations.
The government’s modernization program is essentially a jeepney phaseout

program and also a phaseout of the livelihood of hundreds of thousands to
favor a moneyed few. The extent to which this is true may be seen in the
immediate effects, such as the denial of the jeepneys in question on the
roads, loss of livelihood, insufficient public transport that has so far
worsened the commute experience and sure sales of up to 200,000 or more
new ‘jeep’ units in place of those to be phased out, a big marketing program
as in the words of Piston leaders.
While the intention to modernize may be well-meaning, it leaves behind most
of its stakeholders: the ordinary Filipino drivers and the riding public.
Modernization—likewise development programs introduced by the
government—should put the majority of people concerned at the core of its
program and beneficiaries, otherwise it be criticized or revealed as another
money-making scheme to benefit the few rich or foreign business interests
facilitated by those currently in seats of power.
In this modernization plan, not only new technology is needed, but also
industrialization. The country do not just need to buy from other countries
and be a market where they dump their goods, but be able to create and
develop its own.
Ultimately, the modernization program still does not cater or lead to a
program for a national mass transport system that includes a comprehensive
nationwide system of land, sea and air transport combined with the train
systems. A national mass transport system may also bolster
industrialization.
In the end, we emphasize, transportation is an obligation of the government
to the people. It is a public service. At this juncture of wanting to modernize
public transport, may the government look to support local industry and push
for industrialization and not privatization and private profit.
Old jeepneys can operate beyond

2020 but with conditions – DOTr
By CNN Philippines Staff
Published Nov 20, 2019 5:56:59 PM

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20)— Old but roadworthy jeepneys can
stay on the road beyond 2020 under certain conditions, according to the Department of
Transportation (DOTr).
In a message to reporters Wednesday, the agency said old jeepneys are still allowed to
operate after June 30, 2020, given that they pass the motor vehicle inspection system
(MVIS) or the road worthiness test. These include emission and safety tests.
Old unit operators should also file a petition for consolidation on or before the said date
and “express their petition to modernize.”
However, if operators fail to do so, their routes will be made available to other interested
applicants.
Senator Grace Poe, the Senate public services panel's chairperson, earlier welcomed
the move not to automatically phase out old jeepneys.
"This is for their sake. This is a lot more pragmatic for us, expedient. That if it is still
plyable, if it’s safe, and doesn’t have any adverse emissions, that it be allowed and it will
also save a lot," Poe said Wednesday during the Senate deliberation on DOTr’s 2020
budget.
She added that the DOTr admitted during budget hearings that it has modernized only
1.5 percent or 2,550 of the country's jeepneys, three years into the controversial PUV
modernization program.
The department, however, clarified that the government’s modernization program will
still push through.
The program, which plans to phase out old jeepneys and UV Express service vehicles
by 2020, has been tagged ”anti-poor" because of its heavy cost to jeepney drivers and
operators. It has sparked a number of nationwide transport strikes but the government
has stood by the program.
In an earlier media briefing, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
gave a different figure. It said a total of 18,000 units -- more than 5,000 of which are
jeepneys -- have complied with the program since it was signed in 2017.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.
DOTr stands by jeepney

phaseout despite strike
By: Krixia Subingsubing - Reporter / @KrixiasINQ
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:07 AM October 02, 2019
STRANDED Commuters wait for a ride on Commonwealth Avenue,
Quezon City, after transport groups went on strike on Monday. —NIÑO
JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippinesd — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said

that it was standing by its July 2020 deadline for the phaseout of old
jeepneys despite Monday’s nationwide transport strike that led to the
suspension of classes and work in some parts of the country, including
Metro Manila.
The DOTr must be “firm [about] the deadline or nothing is ever going to
get done,” Transport Undersecretary for Roads Mark de Leon told the
Inquirer on the sidelines of the country’s first Roads and Traffic Expo on
Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Opportunity for dialogue
“If we don’t set a deadline, then when [will it happen]?” he asked, adding
that the transport strike was actually “an opportunity to engage again
with the operators and drivers who still do not understand the program.”
Launched in 2017 to modernize and rationalize the country’s public

transport [buses, jeeps, taxis, UV Express vans] system, the public utility
vehicle modernization program (PUVMP) had been opposed by jeepney
operators and drivers who complained that the cost of shifting to Euro-4,
industry-standard compliant vehicles was too steep.
Since the program’s inception, a total of 3,019 jeepneys and buses duly
registered under 988 cooperatives have made the shift, according to De
Leon.
Low compliance
The figure, however, represented just a fraction of the over 300,000 PUV
units nationwide.
Still, De Leon expressed confidence that the DOTr would be able to meet
its deadline.
“Our efforts to modernize our public transport [are] already in full swing.
Even yesterday, there were many drivers and operators who were
coming to us and asking for clarification on how to comply with the
program,” he said.
Leaders of the transport strike on Monday challenged both the DOTr and
the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to check the
pulse of the masses about the PUVMP as they disputed government
officials’ claims that many operators and drivers supported the program.
Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1172261/dotr-stands-by-jeepney-phaseout-
despite-strike#ixzz6nrq2O4NI
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
Philippine plan to phase out jeepneys

‘threatens livelihoods’
Mark Saludes, Philippines
October 28, 2020

A file image of a jeepney taken on Feb. 26, 2013, Manila, Philippines. (Photo by
saiko3p/shutterstock.com)
Several religious organizations in the Philippines backed calls to stop
the government’s plan to phaseout iconic ‘jeepneys’, the country’s most
popular mode of transportation.
In a statement, the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of the

Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, said the plan
“burdens not only drivers and operators but also the commuters.”
Father Angel Cortez, head of the commission, said the plan threatens the
livelihood of more than half a million drivers and about 200,000 transport
operators in the country.
In 2017, the government introduced a modernization program that aims to

develop a modern and environmentally sustainable transport sector.
Philippine jeepneys are an adaptation of World War II military jeeps that

Filipinos transformed into a 20-seater public transport vehicle.
During the lockdown in March due to the pandemic, the government temporarily

banned all public transport vehicles to quell the spread of the disease.
When authorities began easing quarantine protocols in June, the jeepneys were
still prohibited from traveling.
Father Cortez noted that many jeepney drivers were “forced to beg from

passers-by in order to feed their families.”
“Their forced transition from being drivers to beggars, during this pandemic …
compels us into grave concern,” said the priest.
Jeepney drivers stage a demonstration in Manila on June 1 to call on the

government to allow the operation of mass transportation in the capital as
quarantine measures eased. (Photo by Jire Carreon)
The priest called on authorities to work on “a more humane and just transition”
to attain the government’s plan to modernize the transportation industry.
He called for the suspension of the total phase-out of the traditional jeepney
and to conduct multi-sectoral dialogues among the stakeholders.
Father Dionito Cabillas, convener of faith-based rights group Isaiah Ministry,

said apart from the effects of the modernization program on the drivers, the
government plan will also burden commuters.
“From the US$0.17 minimum fare in a traditional jeepney, a commuter now has
to pay US$0.24 for the modernized, air-conditioned jeepney,” he said.
© Copyright LiCAS.news. All rights reserved. Republication of this article without

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please contact us at: yourvoice@licas.news
Drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys launched on Monday a simultaneous protest

caravan in different parts of Metro Manila as part of their continuing opposition against the
looming phaseout of their units under the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV)
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The caravans, which culminated in a picket in front of the Land Transportation Franchising
and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office in Quezon City, were staged by different groups who
voiced their concerns on the impending jeepney phaseout for which a deadline has been set
on December 31, 2020.
Mody Floranda, national president of transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper
at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON), said the government should focus on helping the
drivers and operators survive the economic impacts of the pandemic instead of pushing for
the “corporate-driven” PUV modernization program of the administration.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Ilang buwan na kaming dumudulog na pakinggan ng gobyerno ang aming mga hinaing.
Ngunit wala silang ibang ginagawa kundi magpabundat sa yaman ng bayan, busalan ang
aming mga panawagan at ikulong ang aming mga lider habang hinahayaang gutom at
walang bubong na masilungan ang libo-libong drayber ng jeep,” Floranda said in a
statement.
(We have been urging the government to listen to our pleas for several months now. They
are doing nothing but plundering the people’s wealth, ignoring our calls, and imprisoning
our leaders while leaving thousands of jeepney drivers jobless.)
While the LTFRB is continuously opening routes for traditional PUJs since the enforcement
of a more relaxed general community quarantine, Floranda said there are currently 198
routes covering 52,000 jeepneys that are still not allowed to resume operations despite the
relaxed community quarantine imposed in most areas.
According to Floranda, this equates to almost 104,000 drivers who are still left without a
livelihood in the midst of the economic crisis and the pandemic.
ADVERTISEMENT
The group reiterated its call to allow the full resumption of jeepney operations, as well as
provision for economic aid and subsidy for drivers and operators especially now that many
workers are going back to their workplaces with the reopening of the economy.
The transport group leader also slammed the red-tagging of some of its members and other
progressive organizations, adding that the administration should stop its “criminalization of
legitimate people’s struggles.”
“Hindi kami matitinag ng mga pakana ng pananakot, pangigipit at pandarahas ng rehimen.

Malakas ang aming loob na irehistro ngayong araw ang aming mga panawagan sapagkat
alam naming kaisa namin sa laban ang buong mamamayan,” he emphasized.
(We will not be shaken by this regime’s intimidation, harassment, and violence. We have
the courage to voice out our calls today because we know that the public will support our
fight.)
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier told operators and drivers of all modes of
road transport including bus, taxi, UV Express, and jeepney to consolidate their fleets under
the PUVMP until December 31, or their franchise will expire.
The deadline marks the end of the supposed three-year transition period of the program
which was initiated in June 2017 to replace old and dilapidated PUVs with modern vehicles
powered by clean electric engines and supported with safety features, as well as an
automated fare collection system.
The transport sector has been among the hardest-hit by the enforcement of the enhanced
community quarantine mid-March which mandated a suspension on all forms of public
transportation, cutting the main source of income of thousands of PUV drivers and operators
and left many of them begging in the streets for money and food.
When travel restrictions were lifted during the general community quarantine (GCQ) in
June, traditional jeepneys were the last to resume operations among mass transport options.
The LTFRB explained that traditional PUJs are placed at the bottom of the “hierarchy” of
public transport due to their limited capacity and lack of contactless payment features
required for the “new normal” in the transportation sector.
Based on the latest data from the LTFRB, the Board has so far approved more than 90,000
units of various PUVs since the enforcement of GCQ which allowed public transport to
return on the roads after months of hard lockdown.
This includes the 35,022 traditional PUJs, 865 modern PUJs, 4,499 public utility buses, 680
provincial buses, and 390 point-to-point buses.
The transport regulatory body also approved a total of 21,436 taxi and 25,068 Transport
Network Vehicles Services (TNVS) units to ferry passengers in the capital region.

Drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys launched on Monday a simultaneous protest
caravan in different parts of Metro Manila as part of their continuing opposition against the
looming phaseout of their units under the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV)
on the impending jeepney phaseout for which a deadline has been set on December
31, 2020.
Mody Floranda, national president of transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng

mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON), said the government should
focus on helping the drivers and operators survive the economic impacts of the
pandemic instead of pushing for the “corporate-driven” PUV modernization program
of the administration.
“Ilang buwan na kaming dumudulog na pakinggan ng gobyerno ang aming mga

hinaing. Ngunit wala silang ibang ginagawa kundi magpabundat sa yaman ng bayan,
busalan ang aming mga panawagan at ikulong ang aming mga lider habang
hinahayaang gutom at walang bubong na masilungan ang libo-libong drayber ng
jeep,” Floranda said in a statement.
(We have been urging the government to listen to our pleas for several months now.
They are doing nothing but plundering the people’s wealth, ignoring our calls, and
imprisoning our leaders while leaving thousands of jeepney drivers jobless.)
While the LTFRB is continuously opening routes for traditional PUJs since the
enforcement of a more relaxed general community quarantine, Floranda said there
are currently 198 routes covering 52,000 jeepneys that are still not allowed to
resume operations despite the relaxed community quarantine imposed in most
areas.
According to Floranda, this equates to almost 104,000 drivers who are still left
without a livelihood in the midst of the economic crisis and the pandemic.
The group reiterated its call to allow the full resumption of jeepney operations, as
well as provision for economic aid and subsidy for drivers and operators especially
now that many workers are going back to their workplaces with the reopening of the
economy.
The transport group leader also slammed the red-tagging of some of its members
and other progressive organizations, adding that the administration should stop its
“criminalization of legitimate people’s struggles.”
“Hindi kami matitinag ng mga pakana ng pananakot, pangigipit at pandarahas ng

rehimen. Malakas ang aming loob na irehistro ngayong araw ang aming mga
panawagan sapagkat alam naming kaisa namin sa laban ang buong mamamayan,”
he emphasized.
(We will not be shaken by this regime’s intimidation, harassment, and violence. We
have the courage to voice out our calls today because we know that the public will
support our fight.)
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier told operators and drivers of all
modes of road transport including bus, taxi, UV Express, and jeepney to consolidate
their fleets under the PUVMP until December 31, or their franchise will expire.
The deadline marks the end of the supposed three-year transition period of the
program which was initiated in June 2017 to replace old and dilapidated PUVs with
modern vehicles powered by clean electric engines and supported with safety
features, as well as an automated fare collection system.
The transport sector has been among the hardest-hit by the enforcement of the
enhanced community quarantine mid-March which mandated a suspension on all
forms of public transportation, cutting the main source of income of thousands of
PUV drivers and operators and left many of them begging in the streets for money
and food.
When travel restrictions were lifted during the general community quarantine (GCQ)
in June, traditional jeepneys were the last to resume operations among mass
transport options.
The LTFRB explained that traditional PUJs are placed at the bottom of the
“hierarchy” of public transport due to their limited capacity and lack of contactless
payment features required for the “new normal” in the transportation sector.
Based on the latest data from the LTFRB, the Board has so far approved more than
90,000 units of various PUVs since the enforcement of GCQ which allowed public
transport to return on the roads after months of hard lockdown.
his includes the 35,022 traditional PUJs, 865 modern PUJs, 4,499 public utility
buses, 680 provincial buses, and 390 point-to-point buses.
The transport regulatory body also approved a total of 21,436 taxi and 25,068
Transport Network Vehicles Services (TNVS) units to ferry passengers in the capital
region.
Jeepney Modernization Debate Explained: Pros &
Cons & Latest Updates
Aug 18, 2020
Share

The Jeepney modernization debate is still happening seriously. Should this program be
implemented? What are the pros & cons? Click to find out the answer.
1. Jeepney phase out debate: What is it all about?

The Jeepney modernization program was organized by the Land Transportation Franchising and
Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in 2015. The program revolves around a government initiative to improve
Jeepney vehicles to make them safer.
To reduce fatal accidents, the government considered replacing old and poorly maintained cars, and
eliminating outdated jeepneys on the streets which were expected to help tackle environmental
pollution.
Based on the LTFRB resolution, the owners of public vehicles cannot franchise, increase the
number of vehicles, or renew the Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) in any way. In addition,
they are not allowed to circulate vehicles that are older than 15 years from the date of manufacture.
The initiative to modernize jeepneys aims to reduce fatal accidents and tackle emvironmental
pollution
In general, in addition to reconstructing jeepneys older than 15 years, other public transports such as
buses have also been improved.
The jeepney modernization program focuses on the following 3 areas:
New franchising system
If the existing franchise system is owned by jeepneys operators, this new system and the routes for
jeepneys will be entirely managed by the government. Any franchising authority is no longer valid to
the unit operator.
The minimum number of jeepneys to be franchised was previously 20 vehicles. However, in 2019,
that number was increased to 40.
Improving PUVs to international standards
To ensure absolute safety as well as being environmentally friendly, the government has circulated a
set of guides for all types of vehicles.
All vehicles must comply with national standards and international safety conventions. Of course, the
specifications will vary based on each kind of PUV, meeting the Department of Transportation's
Omnibus Guidelines.
>>> Also read: Temporary Plate Number Philippines: Follow the LTO guilines and get more
helpful advice
The current jeepneys are claimed to emit too much pollution due to out-dated technology
Here is a summary of the most well-known and affecting upgrades applied to PUVs in the future in
the Philippines:
Vehicles with internal gas engines need low emissions, which must meet EURO IV emissions
standards or higher.
 GPS
 Speed limiters
 Selected types of PUVs must have Closed-circuit television camera
 Dashboard camera
 Friendly with disability
 Satisfactory seats
 Provide Wi-Fi access
 No more than five people stand on the bus
Training for drivers
Traffic modernization programs that want to be successful require cooperation from vehicle drivers.
Therefore, training the PUV drivers is essential.
The training course includes training on driving techniques, traffic safety measures, and codes of
conduct with passengers.
A Pinoy vlogger talks about the jeepney phase out opinion
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2. Why do we need a jeepney modernization program?

Firstly, the Philippines has a lot of traffic overlapping in terms of routes, concessions, and services.
This caused classic congestion in our country.
Secondly, jeepneys are used by the Filipinos for personal purposes. Initially, these vehicles were
used as air transport vehicles or long-distance vehicles. However, many people have turned it into
public transport, and charge a small fee when a passenger travels a particular route.
In addition, many owners crammed with customers in excess of the permitted number (exceeding 26
people). The design of the jeepney is quite inconvenient and small. The rows of seats are arranged
to face each other, making it difficult to stand upright. Therefore, moving and carrying customers is
not safe.
The jeepney phase out opinions differ largely among Filipinos
Finally, because of the franchise, it's challenging to track how many vehicles are running the same
route or counterfeit franchises.
Those are the crucial reasons that urged the Philippine Government to come up with an initiative to
modernize the jeepneys nationwide. However, the jeepney modernization itself comes with both pros
and cons, which has led to the jeepney phase out debate for years.
In order to provide readers with a good understanding of the jeepney modernization

debate, Philtoyota.com will discuss some popular jeepney phase out opinions regarding both
advantages and disadvantages of the program.
3. Jeepney modernization debate: Advantages

Basically, the program aims at helping workers to have safe, comfortable and environmentally-
friendly transportation.
Reduce pollution
Most people use public transport to get around. Therefore, the modernization of jeepneys helps to
reduce harmful smoke and dust into the environment. The government has policies to help them
"greener" and create conditions for a clean air environment.
The all-new appearance of jeepney
Improve public safety
The Jeepneys program ensures people safety by two important things:
 CCTV and GPS are installed on new jeepney models.

 The driver is more well-trained and disciplined.
Improve punctuality
The Philippines is famous for its traffic congestion. However, thanks to this program, people will be
informed in advance of the schedule of routes, which helps to travel faster and avoid congestion.
Enhance comfort
Another jeepney modernization advantage is that it brings significant improvements to the jeepney’s
comfort features. For example, the jeepneys will come equipped with larger storage space, and the
doors are placed on the sidelines, which are also safer and more convenient for parking.
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4. Jeepney modernization: Disadvantages

First of all, the modernization of a jeepney can substantially increase the cost of the vehicle and
thus, making it a major burden for many jeepney drivers and even operators to buy one.
At this point, a lot of operators might have to stop the business, which leads to the possibility of the
private companies taking over the jeepney operations. As a result, fare prices will go up and Filipino
commuters will suffer more.
Protest against Jeepney modernization program by jeepney drivers
5. Jeepney modernization debate among Covid-19

In order to limit the spread of the Covid-19, the government has banned the operation of public
transport, including the traditional jeepneys. However, many people consider this act as "inhuman"
because the state does not recognize the plight of thousands of drivers. Many people had to beg on
the big streets because they lost their main source of income.
Jeepney drivers got heavily affected by the outbreak of Covid-19
Senate public services committee chair - Poe said that while she supported this effort of the state,
the planners also need to listen to the public to come up with the best policy for all.
She submitted to Senate Bill No. 867 on providing reasonable loans to jeepney drivers and cash
subsidies for them. On the other hand, Olarte, President of Clean Air Philippines Movement Inc also
told that the government should provide food rations when waiting for the jeepney resumption.
>>> Read more: 6 most common issues Filipinos have with Jeepneys
6. Debate about jeepney phase out: Final thoughts

The outbreak of the Covid-19 has somehow led to the delayed implementation of the program and
also stirred up the jeepney phase out debate among Filipinos. Looking on the bright side, the
Government however will have more time to consider the benefits of all stakeholders to come up
with the best solution.
With jeepney modernization pros and cons thoroughly discussed, we hope you have learnt helpful
knowledge from this post. Follow us at Philtoyota.com for more motoring updates and car tips.
After almost four months of lockdown measures due to Covid-19, the Philippines
government in June eased restrictions for the majority of the country. But even as public
transport systems slowly got back to running, something was missing: the distinctive
jeepneys, still banned from plying their trade.
On June 24, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chief Martin
Delgra announced that “traditional jeepneys” would be allowed on the road the following
week in Metro Manila, where the majority of jeepneys are used. Two days later,
however, the office of President Rodrigo Duterte backpedalled, stating that only
“roadworthy” jeepneys – the qualifier unclear – would be accepted.
So far, only 49 jeepney routes out of more than 900 existing ones have been allowed to
reopen in Metro Manila. That’s roughly 8% of 74,000 jeepneys back on the streets. And
without any reliable source of income for months, packs of jeepney drivers can still be
seen begging on the streets and voicing their calls to bring back their livelihoods.
The jeepney is an icon of Philippine roads, breaking the sameness of cars and buses
with over-the-top decals and a long, open-air passenger area. More importantly, it
serves as the cheapest and most accessible form of transportation for the commuting
public. Each vehicle carries up to 20 passengers, charging just 16 US cents for a 5-
kilometre trip. But these mechanical mammoths – dubbed the “Hari ng Kalsada”, or King
of the Road – have been targeted by the government’s “modernisation program” since
2017.
Despite a denial of pushing for a phase-out, the state

backing of “modern jeepneys” and actively preventing
the homecoming of the familiar King of the Road tells
a different story.
Headed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the plan is premised on replacing
many jeepneys running on old and rundown engines with new, greener models. Since
the inception of the plan, Philippine officials have encountered regular criticism from
transport and commuter groups calling the move “anti-poor” and a “corporate capture”.
One of the country’s biggest transport groups, Piston, is a vocal opponent of the
program. While not against the modernisation plan per se, they remain critical of the
provisions that insist jeepney drivers and owners cover the costs of the program’s
requirements – including engine replacement. According to the group, prices of
replacement units start at more than US$30,000 (A$43,000). That’s a tall order. A single
unit owner or driver’s capital stands at around $3,800 to $7,690, going by industry
standards. Piston estimates that some 650,000 drivers and 250,000 operators are at
risk of losing their jobs permanently to “profit-driven modernisation.”
Is the government using the pandemic as a springboard to fully exact their

modernisation scheme?
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque attempted to allay such fears, saying that now,
amid the crisis, is not the time for modernisation. In spite of those words, however, there
were telltale signs of a jeepney phase-out. Most modes of transportation were
operational by the end of June, to some degree. On the same day the DOTr initially
announced a road reappearance of jeepneys, they also made it clear what their
priorities were. Jeepneys were pegged at the bottom of the public transport ladder, due
to passenger proximity and health precautions. Trains and buses were at the top,
followed by coaster vans, the state-promoted “modern jeepneys” (fitted with air
conditioning, new engines and Wi-Fi), motorised tricycles (in some cities) and then the
“traditional” jeepneys. On the agency’s Facebook page, disparaging remarks and videos
against common jeepneys have been routinely posted, while touting the modern
jeepney as a vehicle for the future.
Jeepneys on the road in Manila, January 2019 (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)
Independent think tank Ibon Foundation disputed the notion of jeepneys being more
vulnerable to transmission of the virus as a basis for the prohibition, pointing out that
jeepneys are actually at an advantage because open-air vehicles offer better ventilation.
The most blatant sign of the government preventing the comeback of jeepneys has
been its treatment of the drivers themselves. Most come from low-income backgrounds
and earn about US$6 to $8 per day. Drivers strapped for cash have increasingly been
seen on roadsides carrying signs for spare change. Invoking physical distancing rules,
the police responded with arrests. In June, six members of Piston were jailed after
protesting the government’s forced jeepney phase-out and demanding aid. They were
charged with holding a mass gathering in violation of quarantine. Ironically, upon their
release, tests revealed that two of the detained had contracted the disease while
incarcerated.
With reports of ailing and starving families of jeepney drivers rampant, support through
food and cash donations poured in from various corners of civil society and the general
public. Towards the end of June, however, some groups engaged in the relief
effort alleged harassment and threats of arrest by the police. On 27 June, a solidarity
day for jeepney drivers was held, even while maintaining distancing. Food packages
were collected at various sites in the city, and others used the occasion to protest the
criminalisation of drivers. Police were deployed around the city and were reportedly
intimidating participants.
Despite a denial of pushing for a phase-out, the state backing of “modern jeepneys” and
actively preventing the homecoming of the familiar King of the Road – through both
policy and police harassment – tells a different story. The fight for survival amid the
pandemic is not over. But while everyone reels from the global repercussions, the
administration of Rodrigo Duterte looks eager to use it as an opportunity to drive the last
nail into the jeepney’s coffin.
London has the red double-decker bus, New York the yellow taxi, and the Philippines has
the Jeepney.
The country's most popular means of public transport zipping by adds a flash of
vibrancy in the often frustrating, gridlocked streets of metropolitan Manila.
With names like Delilah and Rosa emblazoned across the front, each one is individually
adorned with religious and nationalistic artwork - no two are identical.
For Ed Sarao, head of Sarao Motors - one of the first makers of Jeepneys - the vehicle
represents the multi-cultural history of the Philippines.
"There is bit of Spanish, Mexican traits there; how they incorporate vivid colours, fiesta-
like feelings. There is a little of the Americans because it evolved from the Jeep. There
is a little Japan because of the Japanese engine. But it was built by Filipino hands," he
says.
But while it was once part of the Philippines' image and identity, the Jeepney has now
become something of a dinosaur - and newer, more economical vehicles are starting to
take its place.
King of the road
image captionLeonardo Sarao started Sarao Motors in 1953
Jeepneys first hit the roads in the 1950s, refashioned from military vehicles left behind
by US soldiers after World War II.
Some entrepreneurial Filipinos took those US Jeeps and modified them, adding
features to make them roadworthy, and creating a new form of mass transit.
One of those entrepreneurs was Leonardo Sarao, who at the time drove a kalesa, or
horse-drawn cart.
"He saw the opportunity in having public transportation around Manila," says Ed, who
still keeps his father's old kalesa in the workshop.
Jeepneys can carry about 18 people - packed in shoulder-to-shoulder, with glassless
windows for ventilation in the hot climate.
Operated by owners who run franchises, for average Filipinos they are still the cheapest
way to get around, costing about eight pesos (20 US cents; 12 pence) for a ride.
Financial reality
At the height of their popularity, when Ed describes the factory floor as a bee hive
buzzing with activity, Sarao Motors was asked by the tourism ministry to showcase its
vehicles around the world.
But the heyday came to an end shortly after the Asian financial crisis in 1997-98.
Ed says Sarao Motors has never really recovered. It has gone from churning out 12-18
units a day to producing just 40 a year.
media captionEd Sarao from Sarao Motors describes the ups and downs the company
has faced
The reason for the decline in the company's fortunes, and the fall of the Jeepney in
general, is purely financial, says Jamie Leather, principal transport specialist at the
Asian Development Bank (ADB), which is headquartered in Manila.
He explains that Jeepneys are more expensive to operate and repair than other
vehicles on the market because they don't have standardised parts that are readily
available.
Other vehicles may take fewer passengers, but are more profitable for operators and so
some of them are opting to replace their Jeepneys, Mr Leather says.
"Passengers also prefer air-conditioning that other vehicles provide - they see it as more
comfortable," he adds.
Modernise transport
The other reason Jeepneys are now at odds with the future of transportation in the
Philippines is the amount of carbon dioxide they emit from their diesel engines.
The Philippines is struggling to combat air pollution - the ADB estimates that 5,000
people die from air pollution-related illnesses every year.
So, in an effort to keep the nostalgia but not the fumes, one organisation is testing
electric Jeepneys in the central business district of Makati, one of the cities that makes
up metropolitan Manila.
image captionIn an effort to fight air pollution, 10 electric Jeepneys are being operated
in Makati City
The Institute of Sustainable Cities has awarded a franchise to the E-Jeepney Company
to operate 10 electric Jeepneys.
"We are trying to modernise the transport system in the Philippines," says Yuri
Sarmiento, the head of E-Jeepney.
Their vehicles charge overnight at a makeshift hub inside the Makati Fire Station.
During the day they go on fixed routes, picking up passengers from designated stops.
Of the roughly 50,000 Jeepneys roaring around Manila on any given day, they are
hoping to replace about 2,000 of them with e-Jeepneys by 2015, and eventually to have
10,000.
"We use it as a vehicle for change to grow awareness among Filipinos to use alternative
fuel," says Mr Sarmiento.
"The Jeepney fits that role perfectly."
Back at his workshop, Ed Sarao says he is also considering what the next phase of the
Sarao Jeepney will be, whether it is electric or perhaps air-conditioned models.
Despite the tough times his company is going through, he's not giving up yet.
"Filipinos are very resilient," he says, and he hopes that the vehicle his father pioneered
will prove to be resilient too.
A Push To Modernize Philippine Transport

Jeepneys, often known in the Philippines as "King of the Road," join traffic on a busy street in Manila last
May. Authorities are moving to phase them out, citing pollution and safety concerns.
Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
Down a dark, cramped alleyway in the heart of densely packed Manila, a resistance movement is holding
strong.
The movement is focused on protecting a beloved Philippine form of public transport, the passenger truck
known as the jeepney — but to reach its headquarters in a nearly hidden lane, it's a good idea to ditch your
own vehicle. The lane is so narrow that even the slightest wrong move could result in scratches or a dislodged
side-view mirror from hitting a wall.
Outside the office's metal gate is a beat-up jeepney with a sign reading: "Ibasura ang Jeepney Phaseout!" or
"No To Jeepney Phaseout!"
Inside, George San Mateo sits eating his dinner. He's a warm, welcoming man sporting a salt-and-pepper
goatee, glasses and a newsboy cap. San Mateo, 51, has been a driver for almost three decades and now heads
the transport rights group Piston, short for Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide, or
"unified nationwide organization of drivers and operators." It's in this role that he's leading the resistance to a
government plan to "modernize" old jeepneys and replace them with newer, more eco-friendly models.
A jeepney adorned with eye-catching lettering sits parked in at a gas station in Calamba, Leguna, about an
hour south of the capital Manila. Jeepneys often sport a name, phrase or symbol important to their driver.
Ashley Westerman/NPR
"Piston has no problem with modernization because we consider ourselves progressive," San Mateo says. "We
are progressive, so we are not anti-development. But the problem with the modernization program ...it is anti-
poor and profit-oriented."
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Jeepneys have become synonymous with Philippine daily life. The first were cobbled together using parts of
surplus Jeeps left behind by American troops after World War II. The Filipinos converted them into transport
vehicles that could hold between 15 to 20 people at a time (though not all those passengers may actually
fit inside the vehicle).
George San Mateo is the leader of Piston, a nationwide transportation workers' rights group in the Philippines.
He's called on President Rodrigo Duterte to scrap the current transport modernization plan and create a new
one focusing on nationalizing transport.
"The reason why jeepneys became the dominant mode of transport [is] because after World War II, the
government did not establish a mass transport system," San Mateo explains.
Though numbers are hard to come by, various estimates say there are somewhere between 180,000 and
270,000 franchised jeepneys on the road across the Philippines, with some 75,000 in Metro Manila
alone. Studies have shown they are the country's most popular mode of transportation, taking millions to and
from work every day. They're easy to spot on the traffic-choked roads, often painted with bright colors and
adorned with flashy ornaments. Many jeepneys sport names or slogans painted in big, elaborate fonts.
Passengers ride in a jeepney in Manila. Depending on the size, a jeepney can hold up to 20 people. While the
vehicles have designated routes, they don't have designated stops, meaning riders hop on and hop off whenever
they choose.
The jeepneys are often blamed for heavy traffic congestion because of their indiscriminate stopping and going
to let people on and off. They have designated routes but no designated stops, so they operate much like hop-
on-hop-off buses.
And while jeepney bodies have changed over time (almost all parts are now made overseas and shipped to the
Philippines to be assembled), the vehicles are notorious polluters. While jeepneys can run on both gasoline and
diesel, a 2016 study by the Manila Observatory, a nonprofit science research institute, found that diesel-fed
jeepneys were responsible for 15 percent of the particulate matter emissions in Metro Manila.
That's why the government of President Rodrigo Duterte plans to take all jeepneys 15 years or older off the
roads and replace them with a more eco-friendly, minivan-like version that's bigger, safer and produces fewer
emissions. The modernization plan started in January, and the government hopes to have all old jeepneys off
the road by 2020.
But San Mateo says placing the blame for pollution solely on jeepneys is unfair in a city with so many other
polluting vehicles. He says if the government didn't impose so many fees, fines and penalties on jeepney
drivers and operators, they would have more money to maintain their sometimes dilapidated vehicles.
A jeepney crowned with the name "Morning Glory" navigates a Manila street during rush hour. Many jeepneys
reach areas of the city where other public transit does not go.
In Metro Manila, a city of 12 million-plus and one of the most densely populated urban areas in the
world, jeepneys are second only to walking when it comes to getting around. They're the cheapest option by
far, with rides costing an average of 8 Filipino pisos, about 16 cents. Jeepneys are a popular option over the
city's light rail system, taxis, commuter buses and even trikes — motorcycles with sidecars — across income
levels, but especially for the poor. Despite a fast-growing economy, millions of Filipinos remain below the
poverty line.
"Let us remember that jeepney commuters are some of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines," says Mateo.
"Our vast passengers are not Uber-riding passengers, these are minimum-wage earners and their sons and
daughters."
Jeepney drivers and operators don't earn a lot, either. San Mateo says a driver makes about 500 to 600 pisos, or
about $11, for two days of work. Earnings depend on factors such as profitability of the route, passenger
volume and seating capacity. San Mateo says top-of-the-line jeepneys today cost about 600,000 to 700,000
pisos, or $11,000 to $13,000. The new model the government wants them to purchase costs 1.6 million to 1.8
million pisos, or between $30,000 and $35,000.
San Mateo warns that the costs to run and maintain these newer models will be passed on to commuters in the
form of increased fares.
"That's why there's a deadlock on this," says San Mateo. "So we have no choice but to fight back and launch
transport strikes and transport protests."
Raffy Solongon (in rear-view mirror), 47, drives his jeepney through Makati City in Manila. He earns about
$10 a day and is one of thousands of drivers who say they can't afford the new jeepney model the government
wants them to buy.
He wants President Duterte to scrap the current plan and work toward nationalizing the public transport system
so drivers might get government help to buy or operate their jeepneys.
"What we want in a modernization program...[is] the framework should be socially just, democratic, public
service-oriented and its long-term perspective should be nationalization of public transport," San Mateo says.
"But government doesn't want that."
Last year, San Mateo helped organize two strikes: a jeepney drivers' strike in February, which San Mateo was
arrested for leading, and a two-day, nationwide transport strike in October. The government has filed a case
against San Mateo in connection with the October strike.
"You're poor?" Duterte snapped in a speech, addressing drivers during the October protests. "Son of a bitch,
suffer hardship and hunger. I don't care."
Duterte's administration has rebuffed criticism that the plan is "anti-poor," and claims its goal is not to
completely phase out jeepneys, but to make them more efficient and profitable. It wants to establish new
routes with designated drop-off and load points and restructure and consolidate the ownership of jeepneys.
Riders seem split on the issue.
"It's better for the environment," says Win Tan, who rides a jeepney to work every day to her job as a car rental
assistant. "But for the operators, it's not that good."
Cath Volentino is a tax consultant who has been riding jeepneys since she was a kid.
Jeepneys line up at a depot in Makati City in Manila. Jeepneys are the main mode of transportation for
Filipinos nationwide, moving millions to and from work every day.
"The government is quite right that people need to have a better ride, but how about those jeepney drivers that
can't afford to have a new jeepney?" she says. "It's okay if the government wants to provide for them, but it's
quite a hassle."
Jose Gamo, who has also been riding jeepneys since he was a child, says the government's plan could lead to
chaos for commuters.
"I think the government needs better time to help the jeepney operators adjust to the change, as well as help the
commuters," he says. "Because if you phase out everything, there won't be enough new jeepneys immediately.
So you need better planning for transition."
Gamo says he can't imagine a Manila without the jeepneys he knows and loves.
"It's going to be incredibly hard to get around anywhere," he says.
Back at Piston's headquarters, San Mateo says he and his fellow jeepney drivers have no intention of letting
that happen.
"We are not yet giving up," he says, "so we are not yet entertaining a post-defeat scenario."
Jeepney modernization: Road
paved with difficulties, debt,
danger
Mikael Angelo S. Francisco
Posted at Jan 07 2021 03:12 AM
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An unmodified jeepney sits idly, waiting to be decorated before it eventually hits the streets. An
enduring symbol of Philippine culture, these outdated but iconic vehicles are poised to be
replaced for good by newer, more environment-friendly models. Photo from Wikimedia
Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0
Even before COVID-19, jeepney driver Ernie Cruz had already been preparing to navigate a bumpy
ride ahead of him: the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), or the jeepney
This national initiative aims to bring harmful vehicular emissions in the Philippines to a screeching
halt by phasing out units with outdated engines.
Unfortunately, it could also take jeepney drivers on a one-way trip to debt and starvation—a collision
course that, because of the pandemic that stopped their operations for months, has become more of a
reality.
 A day in the life of a jeepney driver: Why modernization cuts deep
When there’s smoke
Cruz and the other members of the National Confederation of Transport Workers Union (NCTU)
clearly understand the program’s urgency and significance. They know that despite the Philippines’
relatively small contribution to global, man-made climate change, the country will bear the brunt of
increasingly severe natural disasters without mitigating action.
“We believe in climate change,” said Cruz, who serves as NCTU’s National President, “as well as
the concept of transforming the informal economy into a formal economy.”
While jeepneys running on diesel aren’t the only sources of air pollution in the Philippines, recent
studies show that they do contribute a lot. According to 2011 data from the Environmental
Management Bureau (EMB), public utility vehicles reliant on diesel fuel — of which jeepneys
comprise the majority — emit 15,492 tonnes of particulate matter pollution, or 48 percent of the
annual total.
A jeepney waits in front of a supermarket, its driver aiming to meet the vehicle's maximum
passenger capacity. Once the Philippine government's jeepney modernization program sees
nationwide adoption, it is the drivers--whose daily earnings are barely enough for them to get
by--who will bear the brunt of the exorbitant cost of progress. Photo by Lawrence
Ruiz/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
 Palace denies using pandemic to push for jeepney phaseout

 Jeepney modernization push during pandemic 'unfair' to drivers: Robredo
However, alongside thousands of drivers in the Philippines, the NCTU vehemently opposes the idea
of a jeepney phase-out without just transition: “It’s not the program we’re against; it’s the process of
how we’ll get there.”
Driving force
Right now, numerous jeepney drivers, including Cruz and the NCTU, are in a race against time.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently announced that
existing franchises that did not re-register and adopt compliant units by January 1, 2021 will cease to
be valid. The board required operating jeepneys to have Euro 4 or electric engines.
This is in line with the plan’s three-year grace period, which expired on December 31, 2020. Cruz
already submitted their requirements on November 16; as of this writing, they have yet to receive a
response.
Before the pandemic, streets such as this intersection in Taguig were filled with colorful lights
and loud sounds of traffic, especially at night. It is the kind of environment that is quite familiar
to many jeepney drivers--a life from what seems to be an eternity ago. Photo by Meo
Fernando/Pexels
The cost of modernization is another issue. According to numbers shared by Cruz, the newer jeepney
units cost between Php 1.915 million to Php 2.4 million apiece. Factoring in other costs, it would
take about Php 400 billion from jeepney drivers to successfully roll out this program nationwide.
Even with bank loans, these numbers are simply unattainable for drivers and operators who don’t
earn that much to begin with.
The proposed jeepney upgrading scheme places the responsibility of payment squarely on their
shoulders—a problem that COVID-19 made even worse.
The Philippines is among the nations with the longest lockdown periods due to the pandemic.
Jeepney drivers have felt the sting of losing their sole source of income, with quite a few being
forced to beg on the streets after spending months off them.
As quarantine restrictions have eased up across the country, drivers are resuming their operations,
complying with government-mandated coronavirus prevention guidelines, such as installing plastic
covers serving as dividers to maintain social distancing inside the vehicles. However, many of the
nearly 700 routes across the country have not been allowed to return.
Shifting gears
In October 2020, the government announced a service contracting agreement for jeepney drivers.
Under the arrangement, two drivers will be allowed to take turns operating one unit for 18 hours a
day, earning them a performance-based subsidy of up to Php 1,000.
During an online briefing, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III shared the program’s guidelines. He
said it was designed to “help raise the level of service, reliability, and efficiency in the country’s
public transport system.” The LTFRB reported that 1,520 drivers applied for the program on
November 25, the first day of general registration.
As the sun sets, the Metro Manila skyline glows faintly, light scattering behind clouds in a
polluted sky. The jeepney modernization is geared towards brighter skies, among other things--
but leaves the hope of a brighter future for jeepney drivers up in the air. Photo by Mikael Angelo
Francisco
 LTFRB: P802-M cash subsidy handed out to PUV operators hit by pandemic
Still, local transport groups stressed that the government must rethink the stipulations of the jeepney
Cruz said the government should allocate a budget for the modernization program. It was unrealistic
to expect that the inevitably meager bank loans would be enough for jeepney drivers to be able to pay
for the new units, he went on to say.
Cruz added that there’s more to jeepney modernization than just replacing older jeepney models.
Over a two-year period, efforts must be made to transform the system, including establishing
designated jeepney stops and eliminating the boundary scheme that puts pressure on the drivers to
make as many trips as possible.
Throughout the decades, the iconic jeepney has provided Filipino commuters with an affordable
transportation option, and drivers with a way to put food on the table. Without a just transition,
accelerating the modernization program will leave a trail of shattered lives in its wake.
Philippine ‘jeepney’ drivers hit by COVID-19

crisis
Jeepney drivers asks for the public’s help in Manila. Since March,
jeepney drivers have not picked up passengers, amid the COVID-19
restrictions in Manila. (AFP)
 The ‘national symbol’ serves as the backbone of the country’s transport system
MANILA: Forced off the road by coronavirus lockdowns, Philippine “jeepney” driver Daniel
Flores now plies the streets of Manila on foot asking for money to feed his hungry family.
The 23-year-old has not picked up a passenger since March when public transport was halted and
people ordered to stay home as President Rodrigo Duterte’s government tried to slow the fast-
spreading contagion.
Jeepneys — first made from leftover US jeeps after WWII — are a national symbol in the
Philippines, and serve as the backbone of the country’s transport system, providing rides for
millions of people across the country for as little as nine pesos ($0.18).
But drivers like Flores, and millions of others, are out of work after the months-long restrictions
crippled the economy, plunging it into recession.
With no income and debts piling up, Flores started living in the jeepney with his wife, two of his
children and a fellow driver after they were evicted from their apartment because they could no
longer pay the rent.
Instead of sitting behind the wheel, Flores has spent many days begging for alms just to get by.
Other drivers carry plastic containers and cardboard signs around their necks to catch the
attention and sympathy of passing motorists.
“We have absolutely nothing left to spend,” Flores told AFP as he sat inside his jeepney, parked
in a street and crammed with cooking pots, clothes and other humble possessions.
A sign asking for help from passers-by sits on top of the vehicle, which his empathetic boss has
loaned him.
Flattened cardboard boxes cover the side windows and rear entrance to give the family some
privacy — and a feeling of protection from the virus they fear is lurking outside.
As the number of confirmed infections in the Philippines surges past 157,000 — the highest in
Southeast Asia — and Manila endures another lockdown, Flores has no idea when he will be
allowed to drive again.
He occasionally picks up odd jobs selling scrap metal, painting or welding. But it is not enough
to feed his family.
An elderly woman drinks coffee next to her grandchildren inside their jeepney in Manila.
Bottom: The wife of a jeepney driver holds food items. (AFP)
“Often we will eat just once a day. Sometimes, if no one helps us, we don’t eat at all,” Flores
said.
So dire is their predicament the couple sent their seven-month-old baby to live with relatives
outside Manila to ease pressure on themselves and ensure the child gets enough food.
Sesinando Bondoc, 73, started driving a jeepney when he was 28 and at his age finding another
job seems impossible.
Standing on the side of a busy road in sweltering heat with other drivers asking for money,
Bondoc says the desire to eat overrides his fear of the virus or speeding cars.
“One time we were almost hit by a car but we don’t really have a choice. We have to leave our
homes and take our chances in the streets just to have something in our growling stomachs,”
Bondoc said, his voice cracking as he fought back tears.
Drivers have received some money and food handouts from the government. But it does not
make up for their lost income.
In June, six jeepney drivers were arrested by police for allegedly violating a ban on mass
gatherings and rules on social distancing after they protested over the loss of their livelihoods.
They were later released on bail.
Even when the initial lockdown restrictions in Manila were eased in June only a fraction of the
city’s roughly 55,000 jeepneys were allowed to operate under strict rules.
Drivers had to make their vehicles virus-safe by installing plastic seat dividers and reducing
capacity to comply with social-distancing regulations.
Those used to pocketing as much as 1,500 pesos a day had to settle for much smaller takings.
Then a new lockdown imposed nearly two weeks ago in Manila and four surrounding provinces
— home to a quarter of the country’s population — forced those lucky few off the road.
Some are worried they may never drive again as the government phases out smoke-belching
jeepneys that are 15 years or older.
The program to modernize the vehicles was due to finish this year. The government has not
announced if the deadline will be extended.
Renato Gandas, 57, who has been a driver for 30 years, said the owner of his vehicle had already
sold a jeepney due to the phasing-out program and the lockdowns.
With his livelihood at risk, Gandas is losing hope.
“We might just beg for alms for the rest of our lives,” he said.
When Covid meets

climate injustice:
Phasing out jeepneys and
driving unemployment
in the Philippines
Avril De Torres, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development
Just Transition Research Collaborative

Follow
Jan 20 · 7 min read
Over 13 million Filipinos have lost their jobs or livelihoods during

the COVID-19 pandemic. In the middle of a recession, record-
high unemployment, and one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in
Southeast Asia, the Duterte Administration railroads the
implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization
Program — a programme phasing out non-electric or non-Euro-
4 compliant public utility vehicles starting with jeepneys. Tens of
thousands of jeepney workers have been displaced since March
2020 as they were no longer allowed to operate if they did not
have the capacity to modernize their vehicles. Many have
resorted to begging or protesting on the streets. It is in this deep
sense of injustice that transport workers, workers’ groups,
commuters, and sustainable transport advocates united in
defining a just transition towards a truly low-carbon and
democratic public transport system even in the time of COVID.
A police checkpoint at the border of Metro Manila during Covid-19 lockdown, photo credit:
Patrickroque01 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
After World War II, American troops left their military jeeps in the
Philippines which Filipinos upcycled into open-air 18–30
passenger public utility vehicles, now called jeepneys. Jeepneys
have since been considered as the most popular public utility
vehicle on the streets. Prior to the pandemic, they accounted for
nearly half of public utility vehicles on Metro Manila roads and
offered the cheapest fare for as low as USD 0.16 for the first four
kilometers. On average, Filipino families earn a monthly income of
USD 542.
When President Duterte declared a public health emergency on

March 16, 2020, all public transport operations in Luzon, the
country’s largest and most populous island, were suspended to
arrest the local transmission of Covid-19. It was more than three
months later that public utility vehicles were finally allowed to
resume operations, except for jeepneys that have not complied
with the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
The anti-poor and unjust modernization programme
Launched in June 2017, the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization

Program envisions a “restructured, modern, well-managed and
environmentally sustainable transport sector where drivers and
operators have stable, sufficient, and dignified livelihoods while
commuters get to their destinations quickly, safely and
comfortably.” While the programme offers a promising vision for a
sector in crisis, transport workers were quick to oppose its
provisions.
Although the programme covers all public utility vehicles and

provides a three-year transition period, President Duterte
mandated the immediate phase-out of over 240,000 traditional
jeepneys by end of 2017. This made many transport workers
ask, why pick on poor jeepney operators and drivers?
A look at the Philippine transport sector will show that this is a

valid question. The sector has the second highest greenhouse gas
emissions among all economic sectors, with 96% of its primary
energy supply still coming from petroleum. However, private
vehicles dominate road use in the country with the estimated ratio
of private vehicles to public utility vehicles in Metro Manila being
25 to 1. According to a commuters’ rights group, walking and
public transport make up 80% of daily person trips but only 17%
of road space in Metro Manila.
Although smoke-belching jeepneys are widely blamed for black

soot and other outdoor air pollution, it should also be considered
that jeepneys specifically account for only 2% of the total
registered vehicles in the country. This means that potential air
pollution and emissions reduction might be more significant if
modernization efforts focused on private vehicles. Not to mention,
private car owners would also be more likely financially capable of
modernizing their vehicles.
Photo credit: Yannes Kiefer via Unsplash
The cost of modern jeepneys is also unaffordable, plain and

simple. All modern jeepneys should use an electric-powered
engine or at least be compliant with the Euro-4 emission
standards. Additionally, other equipment like installed cameras,
Wi-Fi connections, GPS trackers, and electronic payment systems
are required. In total, one modern jeepney unit would cost
around USD 40,000–50,000, more than ten times the current
cost of a traditional jeepney. Meanwhile, government subsidy is a
measly USD 3,300 per jeepney unit.
Compared to taxis, buses, and ridesharing vehicles which are

owned by big companies, jeepneys are often owned by low-income
jeepney operators or drivers. The modernization program
introduces a new minimum fleet size requirement which mandates
each jeepney operator to have a fleet of at least 15 jeepney units.
Small operators own only four jeepney units on average and
usually receive a daily commission of USD 14.00 per unit, which
will be deducted from the drivers’ average daily earnings of USD
21.00. This begs the question, how can jeepney operators afford 1
modern jeepney, much less 15?
Without significant government subsidies and other forms of

assistance, and an adequate timeline to modernize, the
programme will most likely attract large companies, displace small
operators, and relegate drivers to low-wage earners. It is for this
reason that the programme has been called out as anti-poor and
unjust.
Photo credit: Brian Evans via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
“Suffer in poverty and hunger. I don’t care.”
While jeepney workers and other groups held a transport strike in

protest of the modernization back in 2017, President
Duterte retorted, “January 1. If you can’t modernize [your
jeepneys], leave. You’re poor? Son of a bitch, go ahead. Suffer in
poverty and hunger. I don’t care.” Despite his callous remarks and
later threats of arrest, jeepney workers eventually succeeded in
getting the full three-year period, instead of six months, to
modernize. But then the pandemic hit.
The declaration of a public health emergency was accompanied by

an order for the complete halt in public transport operations from
March to May, which affected around 121,400 public utility
vehicles, including more than 50,000 jeepney units, in Metro
Manila alone. Apart from the USD 100 to 164 social amelioration
monthly cash subsidy provided to all low-income families,
transport workers reportedly have yet to receive special subsidies
or assistance during this period.
When other public utility vehicles were finally allowed to resume

operations in June, traditional jeepneys were excluded. They were
shocked to find that their franchises were being cancelled or
modified for being non-compliant with the Modernization
Program, without prior consultation. Meanwhile, new franchises
and routes were being issued to large corporations which are
investing in modern jeepney units and other facilities.
For the Duterte Administration, the pandemic is an opportunity to

railroad the Modernization Program because emissions reduction,
cashless transactions, and other modernization features are
now even more necessary for the health and safety of commuters.
As for the jeepney and other transport workers soon to be affected,
the government has so far failed to come up with support
measures that can alleviate their suffering from poverty and
hunger in the middle of one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in
Southeast Asia.
Driving the low-carbon transition
It is in this deep sense of injustice that transport workers, workers’

groups, commuters, and sustainable transport advocates united as
the Koalisyon ng Transportasyon para sa Mamamayan or KTM
(Filipino for “Coalition of Transportation for the People”) to
present a genuine alternative which ensures that the
modernization is a just, low-carbon transition.
After all, many transport workers have long clarified that they are
not against modernization per se, but rather, they are
against this unjust modernization that depicts them as either the
enemies or the helpless victims. On the contrary, a low-carbon
transition, in order to be just, should place transport workers on
the driver’s seat, literally and figuratively.
KTM proposes a low-carbon transition with social dialogue at the

core — from open and continuing consultations, fair negotiations,
to information sharing. Genuine social dialogue will allow both
government and transport workers to agree on adequate social
protection measures in the form of vehicle and fuel subsidies,
concessional loans, livelihood support, and skills training that lead
to decent work.
In its advocacy work, KTM unites the concerns of different groups

and demands a comprehensive just transition that corrects current
injustices in the public transport system, for example by creating a
more inclusive space for women and LGBTQI+ people, demanding
equitable solutions from private vehicle owners to account for
their share in air and GHG pollution, and reclaiming “road
democracy”. Road democracy means that public transport is
accessible, affordable, and safe for commuters and that road space
is shared equitably among pedestrians, cyclists, and public and
private vehicles.
Through its concerted efforts, KTM has succeeded in including

some of its demands in the Just Transition to a Modernized PUV
Sector Bill, which was recently filed in the House of
Representatives. Although a long and arduous road still lies ahead
for transport workers, the collective actions of groups like KTM
spark hope that the modernization need not be abandoned
altogether to avoid massive unemployment. Instead, it can be an
opportunity to create decent work for all workers in a truly low-
carbon and democratic public transport system even in the time of
COVID.
Avril De Torres is the head of the Research, Policy, and Law

Program of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development
(CEED), where she leads action researches and policy
engagements, and manages strategic legal interventions to
advance transformative energy, ecological justice, and people-
centered development. CEED published a paper entitled Just
Transition in the Philippines in 2018 and convened the Koalisyon
ng Transportasyon para sa Mamamayan together with other
groups in 2020.
This think piece is part of the Just Transition(s) Online Forum.

Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily
represent those of the JTRC or its partner organizations.
his is Part 1 of a two-part story on the impact the Covid-19 pandemic
and new regulations aimed at modernizing Manila's public
transportation fleets are having on the transport industry.
Life was difficult even before Covid-19, mused Francisco Kalagayan, 39.
Yet, he said, it was bearable. Driving a jeepney provided a certain stability: It put three
meals on the table daily and got his five kids through school.
Then the coronavirus struck, prompting the government to ban all public transport to
mitigate the contagion.
Kalagayan’s life was upended. His family was “lucky to eat once a day,” he said. Even
mundane things like soap and toothpaste became luxuries shared among neighbors at
Barangay UP Campus in Quezon City.
And when travel restrictions were lifted after a three-month lockdown, “everyone else
got back to work except us drivers,” he said.
While the rest of the metropolis is adjusting to what life has become, Kalagayan worries
that jeepney drivers like himself will “continue to be left behind” as they grapple with a
new deadline they can’t meet.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that by December 31, bus, taxi, UV

Express and jeepney operators and drivers must have consolidated their fleets under
the public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP).
If not, their franchises--or licenses to operate--will expire, said Martin Delgra III, chair of
the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The deadline marks the end of the supposed three-year transition period for all PUVs
under the program, which seeks to replace all old, dilapidated units with modern, Euro-4
vehicles.
The transition period was to have lapsed in July. But “in due consideration of the
pandemic, we decided to extend the deadline,” Delgra said.
Shrugging off criticism that a hard deadline for the program was “insensitive” in view of
the ongoing crisis, Delgra said: “This is not an imposition of government. The imposition
is on the deadline. If they want to support the program, they can do so because it is
their choice to continue running the route.”
No other group is more adamantly against the program than the jeepney sector, which
has fiercely resisted its implementation since its launch in 2017.
Francisco Kalagayan, 39, is among the more than 60 drivers in Barangay UP Campus
who were displaced by the partial ban on jeepneys / Credit: Mariejo S. Ramos
‘Kings of the Road’
Jeepney drivers and operators argue that the program would phase out the “Kings of
the Road,” which evolved from leftover US military jeeps after World War II and were
later modified and reproduced to meet Manila’s postwar transport needs.
But the Covid-19 pandemic served to highlight the long-overdue overhaul of Philippine
road transport, which has literally pushed commuters into cars.
Now motor vehicles comprise 60-70 percent of the country’s total emissions. While
private cars outnumber jeepneys in Manila 6:1, the diesel-powered vehicles emit a lot
more black carbon, the sooty material comprising particulate matter—an air pollutant,
said Dr. Gerry Bagtasa, associate meteorology professor at the University of the
Philippines Diliman.
“While jeepneys and buses may not be the biggest emitters ... since they are fewer than
private vehicles, the relationship is much clearer between jeepneys and buses in terms
of black carbon, which is harmful [and] recently identified to be a type of carcinogen,”
Bagtasa said.
Meanwhile, the modern jeepneys—which look more like minibuses—are powered by

Euro-4 fuel and catalytic engines that filter air pollutants by as much as 90 percent, he
added.
In pushing for the program, officials say they wish to keep the gains from the four-month
lockdown, during which air pollution, seen as a leading cause of respiratory diseases
like Covid-19, dropped drastically across Manila.
Transport officials say the drop was due to the absence of vehicles on the road. But
Bagtasa said it was also due in part to the hot weather.
“We actually did not do anything to reduce pollution,” he said. “It’s just an unintended
consequence of solving a totally different problem. Our pollution level was really low
during the first months of the lockdown and, of course, removing the sources of
emission was key here, [but] historically pollution is really the lowest during the
summer.”
Challenges with consolidation
Regardless, fleet consolidation and modernization alone can potentially reduce yearly
transmission.
But even if only 70 percent of jeepneys shift to cleaner units, fleet consolidation and
modernization alone can potentially reduce yearly transport emissions by 3.6 percent,
said Maria Golda Hilario, associate program director of the Institute for Climate and
Sustainable Cities.
However, she warned, this must be “carefully balanced, because if the fleet is not
enough to service the number of commuters, we would have a situation wherein any
potential reduction can be diminished by emission increases from private vehicles, as
commuters, for lack of transport options, will resort to buying cars.”
But consolidating into fleets alone is already a major challenge to the program.
Part of it is rooted in culture, Delgra said. Jeepneys, often seen as heritage to be

passed from generation to generation, are often owned by the drivers or their operators.
Unlike buses or utility vehicles, jeeps are very rarely organized in fleets. A 2016
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) joint study with the
DOTr found that over 70 percent of all jeepneys operators own only one unit.
As such, most jeepneys do not follow regular deployment schedules and often compete
on the road for passengers, Delgra said.
The same study found that over 43,000 jeepney franchises and over 830 bus franchises
have been issued on more than 900 routes, “making the public transport market
practically unmanageable for the government.”
A fast-approaching deadline
So what will happen on Dec. 31? First, operators and drivers who have yet to
consolidate into cooperatives or corporations, or express their intent to do so, will find
their franchises expired, Delgra said.
By then they will be eligible to operate only under a provisional authority effective until
December 2021 “if there are still no groups running consistent with the PUVMP running
their routes,” he said.
They will then have to file petitions to drop and then replace their old units with the new
modern jeepneys.
This is where operators and transport officials start to clash. The burden of purchasing
the units--now priced between P1.6 million and P2.2 million--is on the cooperative or the
corporation.
By consolidating, Delgra says, they should be more readily able to take on the cost of
transitioning. “Banks don’t usually recognize you when you apply for loans if you’re just
an individual operator. They are, however, more appreciative if you apply as a group.”
Still, the DOTr doubled the equity subsidy for each unit from P80,000 to P160,000, or
around 10 percent of the lowest estimate for the modern jeeps, Delgra said.
Need to earn a living
But the cost is still steep for Kalagayan and some 60 other drivers living in Barangay UP
Campus, who were among those displaced by the ongoing partial ban on jeepneys.
Like the others, Kalagayan inherited his Sarao jeepney from his father. For generations
their work sustained their community.
When Manila relaxed its lockdown measures, the DOTr allowed the highest-capacity
vehicles to operate first: trains, then buses, modern jeepneys, and then traditional
jeepneys.
Even though the steel-bodied vehicle takes up a third of all trips taken in Metro Manila,
the DOTr initially argued that jeepneys--with their face-to-face interior configuration--are
inherently incapable of physical distancing.
But “there is no foolproof mode of transport (against the coronavirus),” said University of
the Philippines Manila-College of Public Health dean Vicente Belizario. “It’s a
combination of pluses and minuses. You want more of the minuses to reduce the risk of
transmission.”
In the case of jeepneys, placing plastic barriers between the drivers and the passengers
and requiring them to wear masks at all times “could greatly reduce the risk of
transmission,” he said.
In July--or a full month since the capital region was reopened--transport officials finally
allowed some 6,002 jeepneys back. But the DOTr’s transport strategy had already
disenfranchised Kalagayan and the others.
They had received aid from the national and local governments, but most of them were
forced to beg on the streets when it became clear that their jeepneys would not be
among those allowed to return to the roads, Kalagayan said.
While officials try to fashion a more sustainable “new normal” for future generations,
Kalagayan’s kids will have to stop school this year. His eldest had been due to attend
college in June.
“I told my wife and kids that they can’t attend school because we can’t afford their
laptops or cell phones. At first they were in denial, but when they saw us begging on the
streets, that’s when they understood that we simply cannot afford their school needs,”
Kalagayan said.
He added: “It’s been decades since we first started in this line of work. We’ve
transported so many people on the roads, and we’ve contributed to their successes.
We’re not against modernization. We just want to be able to earn a living so we can
meet [the government’s] demands, and feed our families.”
 Read Part 2: Amid pandemic, questions arise over timing, cost
of jeepney modernization
This story was written with the support of an environmental journalism grant from
Internews' Earth Journalism Network.
Banner image: A number of jeepney drivers out of work due to the Covid-19 quarantine

in Caloocan City are forced to beg for money, as shown in this photo taken on July 14 /
Credit: Grig C. Montegrande
THE ORIGIN OF JEEPNEYS

After the damage dealt by World War II, the Philippines faced a post-war crisis of developing a
new system of urban transportation. Within the urban area of Metro Manila, the cable cars that
had once been used as a primary form of transportation were now left in a state of ruin because
of all the bombings that occurred in the city. However, a new system of mobilizing the urban
population soon arose from all of this destruction. The Americans had abandoned war jeeps, and
local manufacturers modified them to accommodate more passengers. Despite having started as a
temporary solution, Jeepneys have evolved into a cultural symbol that now serves almost 40% of
transport users in Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces[1].
Official records show that there are almost 180,000 franchised jeepneys in the Philippines today.
Part of their appeal to the masses is that they are extremely economical. Costing just 8PHP
($0.16) a ride -- compared to 12PHP for a bus ride or 15PHP for a train -- jeepneys serve as an
affordable alternative to Filipino commuters. In a society where a substantial part of the
population lives under the UN definition of poverty, the jeepney has become a fundamental part
of people’s lives as they are forced to move among different locations for employment. The
vehicle’s size and shape also allows them to navigate streets untouched by the country’s limited
public transit system.
As a cultural symbol, the jeepney is famous for having designs as loud as their engines. Jeepney
drivers and owners use vibrant colors and kitschy ornamentation to decorate their vehicles in
order to tell a story. Often these narratives include references to family members working
overseas, nature scene’s from a family’s original province and heritage, as well as basketball
players and cartoons that emphasize the Filipino obsession with Western pop culture in the post-
colonial period.
PHASING OUT THE JEEPNEY

Despite its long-standing popular appeal in economy and mobility, jeepneys bear a fair amount
of responsibility for contributing to the traffic and pollution crisis that is prevalent throughout
Metro Manila. A typical jeepney will be able to seat 10 to 16 commuters, all sitting knee-to-knee
on twin benches, and does not have internal air-conditioning or windows to shield passengers
from heat, rain, and fumes. With Manila as one of Asia’s most gridlocked mega-cities,
passengers often have to withstand these conditions for hours. There are also no seatbelts or
methods for the vehicles to accommodate commuters with disabilities. Because the jeepney
industry does not involve any mass-production, it instead relies on a fleet consisting of second-
hand vehicles modified with scavenged parts and dependent on polluting diesel. Because of the
jeepney industry’s contribution to pollution and traffic congestion, the current presidential
administration in the Philippines has updated its regulations regarding Public Utility Vehicles.
Some of the new rules are based on vehicle size, accessibility, and engine quality, which could
effectively stamp out thousands of the vehicles that are currently in service and in turn the
livelihoods of their low-income drivers. Any vehicles that fail to meet these standards as well as
those built more than 15 years ago were required to have been taken off the roads by Jan 1, 2018.
REBRANDING THE JEEPNEY

An alternative to the jeepney was recently commissioned by the government, and it bears
minimal resemblance to the traditional jeepney and instead is more similar to mini-buses that are
common in other countries[2]. These new designs incorporate Euro 4 engines or solar panels,
safety features like speed limiters, accessibility features like ramps and seatbelts, closed-circuit
television cameras, GPS, and a dashboard camera. It will also come with free wifi for the
convenience of commuters. In addition to the design modifications, the internal system of this
form of public transportation will also be changed. The current jeepney system consists of
passengers tapping on the roof to stop the vehicle and passing on fares through a line of
passengers to the driver. The new model will introduce formal ticketing and drop-off points. In
addition, these vehicles will be locally made and assembled. While certainly an attractive option
in terms of mitigating the negative externalities that have been made by traditional jeepneys over
the years, this new Public Utility Vehicle bears a price tag of PHP1.6 million ($30,000).
Figure 2. Prototype of the new PUV
CONSEQUENCES FOR THE URBAN POOR

While most jeepney drivers and other motorists acknowledge the need to upgrade Public Utility
Vehicles to make them safer for drivers and commuters, they are overwhelmed and dismayed by
the high cost for drivers to replace their old jeeps. Efren Borela, a jeepney owner for 15 years,
earns around 2,500PHP ($48) per day, and has invested his savings into his vehicle. His savings
are compromised if he has to go out and buy a new roadworthy one. In a society where jobs are
transient and many fear losing their livelihoods on a daily basis, narratives like that of Efren are
shared by many other current jeepney drivers. Recently, a transport group named Piston
organized a round of protests involving more than 6000 jeepney drivers who would be impacted
by the regulation[3]. Within the context of the public outcry, the government argues that it will
be setting up financial loan schemes as part of the urban transport rehaul effort.
RIDE-SHARING SERVICES AS AN ALTERNATIVE
Amidst the public outcry among jeepney owners who will be potentially impacted, other
transportation alternatives have conducted their fair share of capitalizing on the market vacuum.
Ride-sharing services like Uber and Grab (a local version) have cropped up and risen in
popularity over the years. On the day of the third jeepney driver strike, Uber released a
promotion for those who ‘may be affected by the day’s proceedings.’[4]
There is much criticism regarding the viability of ride-sharing services as an alternative solution
to the country’s transportation problems. Stephen Zoepf discussed his report in an SUS seminar
on how ride-sharing services contribute to racial and economic discrimination. Internationally,
ride-sharing services demonstrate the same trends. In the Philippines, ride-sharing services are
fundamentally no different to jeepneys, tricycles, and pedicabs. They just cost more and make
use of more expensive means to hail and stop drivers. However, neither conventional PUVs nor
ride-sharing services can really be considered true public services as both inconvenience sectors
of society who are not either’s patrons. PUVs, for their part, turn Philippine roads into monstrous
hellholes for private motorists and pedestrians (and are hazards even to their own patrons).
Transportation network vehicle services (TNVSs), on the other hand, further add to the
proliferation of private vehicles that provide non-mass-transit “public” transport. Both PUVs and
TNVSs contribute virtually the same problem to Philippine public transport in general in that
both are competitive private enterprises rather than true public mass transit systems that are truly
egalitarian in the level of service made available to the public.
As an alternative, ride-sharing services are really only accessible for those who can afford
private cars. If the solution is not something that may be made available to those who are in need
of it the most, it poses a scenario similar to that of the jeepney when it was first developed. As a
form of proprietary foreign technology, these technologies will render Filipinos mere users and
consumers and will be hinder them from building a modern and competitive automotive industry
in a more organic and localized way.

[1] Nebrija, Julian, “Philippines’ brightly decorated jeepneys face an uncertain future,”
November 2017. https://www.cnn.com/style/article/jeepney-philippines-cultural-icon/index.html
[2] Rey, Aika, “Local companies should manufacture new jeepneys,” February
2018. https://www.rappler.com/nation/196946-jeepneys-local-manufacturers-puv-modernization-
house-hearing
[3] Chen, Heather, “Philippines strike: Filipinos rally around iconic jeepney drivers,” October
2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41632035
[4] Morris, Davis Paul, “Philippines lifts Uber suspension after it pays nearly $10 million in
penalties,” August 2017. https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/30/philippines-lifts-uber-suspension-
after-it-pays-millions-in-penalties.html
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Jeepney

No jeepney phaseout during

Cecille Suerte Felipe (The Philippine Star

Transport group PISTON asked the Land Transportation Franchising and

The group vowed to oppose the planned phaseout of traditional jeepneys. –

What you should know about the

The government calls it modernization. Transport groups believe

The Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) is the

Under the Omnibus Guidelines on the Planning and Identification of Public

2. Out with the old, in with the new

We may have to say goodbye to the iconic post-war jeepney. In an expo

Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON)

San Mateo adds: “Kikita na nga ang mga malalaking korporasyon,

4. Salary system and work benefits

The PUV modernization program also introduces to drivers a monthly salary

Piston, while amenable to drivers being salaried workers under a nationalized

“Mag magiging matindi ang pagsasamantala sa mga tsuper sa ilalim ng

With the ultimate aim of decongesting traffic in urban areas, the

6. Loans and government support

7. Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok

For PISTON, ‘Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok’ is a covert attempt by the

8. Corporate capture and service to foreign interests

The monopolization and corporatization of public transport ultimately serves

9. Who will be affected?

The phaseout will cause massive displacement or unemployment of drivers.

Fare hikes will be unavoidable. According to the CBBRC, minimum jeepney

10. Transport strikes

In December last year, PISTON national president George San Mateo was

The No To Jeepney Phaseout Coalition and PISTON have held several

The government’s modernization program is essentially a jeepney phaseout

Old jeepneys can operate beyond

CNN Philippines Correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.

DOTr stands by jeepney

MANILA, Philippinesd — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said

Opportunity for dialogue

Launched in 2017 to modernize and rationalize the country’s public

Philippine plan to phase out jeepneys

October 28, 2020

In a statement, the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission of the

In 2017, the government introduced a modernization program that aims to

Philippine jeepneys are an adaptation of World War II military jeeps that

During the lockdown in March due to the pandemic, the government temporarily

Father Cortez noted that many jeepney drivers were “forced to beg from

Jeepney drivers stage a demonstration in Manila on June 1 to call on the

Father Dionito Cabillas, convener of faith-based rights group Isaiah Ministry,

© Copyright LiCAS.news. All rights reserved. Republication of this article without

Drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys launched on Monday a simultaneous protest

“Hindi kami matitinag ng mga pakana ng pananakot, pangigipit at pandarahas ng rehimen.

Mody Floranda, national president of transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng

“Ilang buwan na kaming dumudulog na pakinggan ng gobyerno ang aming mga

“Hindi kami matitinag ng mga pakana ng pananakot, pangigipit at pandarahas ng

1. Jeepney phase out debate: What is it all about?

The jeepney modernization program focuses on the following 3 areas:

New franchising system

Training for drivers

A Pinoy vlogger talks about the jeepney phase out opinion

>>> Suggested posts:

 Most common road signs in the Philippines and their meanings

2. Why do we need a jeepney modernization program?