Welga Na! PISTON Shuts Down Jeepney Routes Nationwide Over Fuel Price Crisis
It's happening — PISTON has officially launched a nationwide transport strike today, March 19, paralyzing jeepney routes across the Philippines as drivers and operators protest skyrocketing fuel prices driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
PISTON national president Mody Floranda announced the strike during a press conference earlier this week, saying the action would span not just Metro Manila but the entire country. 'Ngayon darating po na March 19 ay idedeklara po natin… hindi lamang sa NCR kundi sa buong bansa ang isang protesta at huwelga,' Floranda declared. Up to 500 PISTON members in Metro Cebu alone are joining the walkout.
The group's demands are clear: roll back fuel prices to P55 per liter — the rate before the recent wave of price hikes — remove the VAT and excise tax on petroleum products, and repeal the Oil Deregulation Law that they say allows oil companies to set prices with virtually no government oversight.
Drivers say they're losing a massive chunk of their daily earnings to fuel costs, with some calling it a full-blown livelihood crisis. Floranda is also pushing for a P5 fare increase to help offset losses. Under the boundary system most jeepney drivers operate on, every centavo increase at the pump eats directly into their take-home pay.
The strike has already forced dozens of schools and universities — including UP, Ateneo, UST, PUP, DLSU, and Adamson — to shift to online classes for the day. President Marcos earlier this week suspended a planned fare hike and ordered free rides to cushion the impact, but for PISTON, those measures aren't enough. They want structural change, not band-aid solutions.
Source: Daily Tribune
