WHENEVER you hear about a transport strike, what do you worry about? Some may worry about what they’re going to ride to school that day while others may ponder if there’ll be a class suspension, but has any of us worried about what’s truly at stake?

Word on the phaseout of traditional Public Utility Jeepneys (PUJs) has been going on even before the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) in 2017. In March of 2023’s weeklong nationwide transport strike, you can see so many posts about “#NotoJeepneyPhaseout” but with more recent transport strikes, less and less traction can be found. Unfortunately, many are regarding it as “old news” — a privileged mindset that our jeepney operators and drivers cannot afford.

Jeepneys are Filipino cultural icons. There is simply nothing more Pinoy; from the design that separates us from all the other countries to its ability to foster our cultural traits of Pakikisama and Bayanihan. Jeepneys are an essential part of our cultural heritage, and they are regarded as “King of the Road” for a reason, but it is not the only reason why we are against the phaseout. Upon researching, a lot of commuter debates seem to fixate on this as a nostalgia issue and people resisting modernization, not taking into account the program’s anti-poor facets.

According to a policy brief from the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies, the program's requirements and stipulated terms "provide a window of opportunity for the corporate takeover of small-capacity public transportation in the Philippines.” Forced forfeiture, confiscation of specific franchises, and the inaccessibility and inadequacy of financial programs are all possible with the takeover. This poses a threat to Jeepney operators and drivers who cannot keep up to ‘modernize’. For perspective, the research shared that subsidies only cover 5% of the total cost of a modern jeepney which costs P2.8 million.  

We cannot deny the idea of a more efficient and greener means of transport that  PUV Modernization brings is an enticing prospect, but it should not be at the cost of the lives of our Jeepney operators. Without better terms, more strikes will occur. In those times, let us not forget the backbone of the Philippine public transport system for decades.