By Junex Doronio
MANILA — After the three-day transport strike of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) that culminated on Wednesday (01 May 2024) coinciding with the international commemoration of Labor Day, the Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon (Manibela) will also hold its mass action beginning Thursday (2 May 2024) to protest the franchise consolidation requirement under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
This was announced on Wednesday by MANIBELA’s leader Mar Valbuena who noted that even if the consolidation deadline lapsed on Tuesday (30 April 2024), they are still hoping President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will heed their call to scrap the PUVMP.
It can be recalled that last April 15 to 16, PISTON and Manibela held their joint two-day transport strike, stressing that they only wanted the government to support the local manufacturers of modern jeepneys.
“Ang isang pinaka-ano niyan, sinasabi nila pag-aaralan nila, ngayon pa lang lumalabas ‘yung pagpayag nila sa local (manufacturers of jeepney)…ang isang malaking problema, wala naman silang inilalabas na Executive Order na Philippine Standard Compliance,” PISTON national president Mody Floranda earlier said in a radio interview.
He reiterated that they are not against the modernization of PUVs but are against some of the regulations of the government’s PUVMP.
(el Amigo/MNM)
