Member drivers and small operators of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu yesterday held a protest action in front of the Shell gasoline station in Brgy. Caretta, Cebu City to protest a new round of oil price increase.

This, as it continues to call for the for scrapping of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) in favor of a progressive and pro-people modernization, despite the extension of the franchise consolidation deadline from Jan 31 to April 30, supposedly to give operators some more time to comply.

In a statement, PISTON-Cebu president Greg Perez said that the big-time oil price hike of P2 or more per letter that hit the country yesterday is alarming.

He said the oil price increase means a P40 to P60 reduction in the driver's daily income, which is a reduction of the spending money for his family.

'This is already worth a kilo of rice for a day's meal or two! And this comes right after the much-ballyhooed inauguration of 'Bagong Pilipinas'! Is this the promised poverty alleviation and faster delivery of service to the people?' Perez said.

'The Oil Cartel is rushing its profit-taking before the phaseout of traditional jeepneys takes effect on April 30, 2024. With the banning of even at least 37,000 jeepneys, the oil companies will stand to lose customers who consume up to 1,110,000 liters a day, if each jeepney consumes 30 liters a day,' he added.

That is why, Perez said, PISTON-Cebu echoes the call for the immediate passing of the oil reform bills now pending in Congress.

The proposed laws include that which seeks to remove the Value Added Tax and the Excise Tax from oil products, to immediately bring down prices.

Another bill calls for the rescinding of the 'Oil Deregulation Law' which has tied the hands of the government, and bring back the government regulation of fuel price and supply.

PISTON-Cebu likewise call for the return to government control of Petron, which complements another bill to make the government as the sole and direct buyer of petroleum products from state-owned oil companies like Saudi ARAMCO.

Perez said that instead of poverty alleviation, what is happening is poverty aggravation because all citizens, including drivers, small transport operators, and commuters, would 'surely experience an increase in the prices of basic goods and services due to the resurgence of oil prices, as all products and services require oil for production and transportation.'

On the PUVMP, Perez said their position remains, which is to discard the program.

He said the PUVMP victimizes small operators, drivers, and commuters by removing the individual operator's control over their franchise and jeepney in favor of cooperatives and corporations.

This program, Perez said, forces the operators to buy expensive, imported minibuses, which places them in deep debt.

He alleged that the PUVMP would result to lose of livelihood for small operators and drivers, whether their status is unconsolidated, consolidated, or modernized.

Perez said PISTON-Cebu would instead push for the development of a 'progressive and pro-people public transportation'.

'This means that instead of killing jobs, jobs should be created, which can only happen if we promote our own local industries by developing our ability to build our own jeepneys,' he said.

'This approach will employ more people, create more opportunities, use up our own local and natural resources, and keep the capital within the country. With cheaper production costs, fares would also be affordable, while jeepneys will be kept safe and in good running condition,' he added.

That is why yesterday's protesters called for the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 and the Department of Labor and Employment-7 to work on how to help the jeepney drivers and operators to keep their jobs, instead of preparing to give them food relief and new jobs.

Perez said that with the hundreds of thousands of drivers and small operators who will become jobless because of the traditional jeepney phaseout as a result of PUVMP, DSWD would have a hard time delivering on the promise of aiding the great number of families affected.

DOLE, he added, would also find it difficult to provide new jobs because of the already existing large number of the unemployed, which is why a lot of Filipinos go abroad to find jobs.

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