Jeepney group Manibela on Tuesday said it is planning to extend its transport strike until Friday instead of the original three-day plan.

This, after the government said the group failed to paralyze the public transportation system on the first two days of the strike.

Transport strike failed to paralyze routes - LTFRB

For Manibela Chairman Mar Valbuena, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) seemed to “lack a sense of urgency”, claiming that the agency only called for a dialogue after they announced a strike.

Valbuena added that although a DOTr staff member already reached out to him about a possible dialogue on Friday, he wants to hear from Secretary Vince Dizon himself.

“Magbigay sila ng definite na schedule na hindi pabago-bago. 'Yung Friday, ‘di naman kasiguraduhan. Siguro kung mismong si Secretary Vince Dizon ang tumawag at magsabi, magdayalogo tayo… Kahit ngayon, kahit bukas, kung siya mismo ang tatawag sa’min, call kami,” said Valbuena.

“Kasi ‘di ko kilala 'yung mga emisaryo ninyo at wala akong tiwala,” he added, citing past dialogues with previous DOTr officials that didn’t amount to anything substantial.

'Laban hanggang ikamatay namin ito', Manibela on 2nd day of transport strike

Valbuena also has a condition before agreeing to enter into talks. He said unconsolidated jeepney operators and drivers should be able to ply the routes freely while negotiations are ongoing.

“Dahil hindi naman ito makukuha na isang upuan lang, kailangan ay ma-suspend muna ang implementation ng PUVMP at i-extend yung aming mga provisional authority (PA) at makapag-renew na kami,” he said.

Dizon earlier said that the renewal of PAs is something he’s looking into. But he asked for two weeks before deciding on the matter.

DOTr MEETING WITH PRO-MODERNIZATION GROUPS

Dizon is currently meeting with different transport groups one at a time. On Tuesday, Dizon held discussions with the pro-modernization camp who welcomed Dizon’s commitment to the program.

“Sinabi niya na hinding hinding hindi niya sususpendihin o ipagliliban ang program. Tuloy ang modernisasyon,” said Ed Comia, the president of the Alyansa ng mga Kooperatiba at Korporasyon Para sa Modernisasyon.

They also sought to have the route rationalization phase expedited so that modern jeepney operators wouldn’t have to compete with other PUVs or with Libreng Sakay buses for passengers.

They said Quezon City’s free ride program, in particular, is one of the reasons why some are having a hard time paying off their debts— so much so that they believe government banks have temporarily stopped granting loans to consolidated transport entities.

“Hindi nila harapang sinasabi pero ramdam namin, wala namang naaapprove sa’min,” said Michael Melinas, the National Chairperson of the National Federation of Transport Cooperatives.

“Marami pong delinquent account na nangyayari. Pinachecheck po ni ating mabutihing Secretary— ano yung mga reasons bakit hindi nakakabayad? Meron, ibang sinasabi mismanagement, merong iba LPTRP (Local Public Transport Route Plan), merong ibang may kakumpetisyon sa daan,” said Arangkada NCR Transport Federation President Freddie Hernandez.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFTB) also vowed to provide more guidance to cooperatives and corporations, especially those that were newly formed.

The agency earlier confirmed that out of the 86 percent who have signed up for consolidation, only half have been approved so far as many still struggle to comply with certain requirements. 

“For instance, yung capitalization tsaka financial requirements… Kasi small operators ito, they don’t have the expertise to form such a cooperative or corporation kaya kinakailangan i-train mo,” said LTFRB Spokesperson Ariel Inton Jr.