Manibela sets April 15-17 strike; Malacañang says move untimely

By Ashley Erika O. Jose and Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporters

TRANSPORT GROUP Manibela will stage a three-day nationwide strike starting April 15 to protest high fuel prices and what it described as government inaction, raising the risk of transport disruptions in key urban centers.

“We are declaring a nationwide transport strike to protest against the government, especially the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation’s negligence, and how oil companies are profiting from the oil crisis,” Manibela Chairman Mar S. Valbuena told a news briefing on Monday.

He said other transport groups are expected to join the action, including ride-hailing, taxi and motorcycle taxi drivers, potentially widening the scope of the disruption beyond traditional public utility vehicles (PUVs).

He said the group is calling for a rollback of as much as P57 a liter in fuel prices and the suspension of value-added tax on petroleum products to ease the burden on drivers and operators facing higher costs.

He added that the deferment of fare increases has further squeezed earnings in the sector.

“There should be relief for drivers and operators,” Mr. Valbuena said, referring to the government’s decision to suspend fare adjustments.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last month deferred a scheduled increase in PUV fares to help cushion commuters from rising costs, a move that transport groups said shifted the burden to drivers.

Malacañang on Monday said the planned strike is “untimely,” warning that it could worsen the impact of the energy situation linked to war in the Middle East.

“We can see what the President and the administration are doing and have done for the transport sector,” Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a separate news briefing in Filipino. “They are being prioritized.”

She said the government is addressing the concerns of transport workers and urged groups to engage in dialogue instead of staging a strike.

The strike would not help address the impact of the Middle East crisis, Ms. Castro said, adding that what is needed is negotiation and cooperation.

Fuel prices have surged in recent weeks following the US-Israel war on Iran, cutting into the take-home pay of drivers and prompting calls for additional government support.

In response, the government has rolled out subsidies, including a P5,000 fuel subsidy for drivers through the Department of Transportation, on top of cash assistance provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The LTFRB is set to deploy service PUVs on select routes starting April 15 under a service contracting program funded by the 2026 General Appropriations Act. The program compensates drivers and operators to provide free rides to commuters while ensuring continued income for transport workers.

In Metro Manila, the program will cover the EDSA Bus Carousel and routes served by modern and traditional jeepneys, including those linked to Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit stations and other major transport hubs.

Authorities said the program is meant to cushion the impact of reduced transport supply during the strike and support both commuters and drivers affected by rising fuel costs.

The Department of Energy said fuel prices might ease in the near term, with diesel expected to decline by P20.89 per liter, gasoline by P4.43, and kerosene by P8.50 starting on Tuesday due to market adjustments.

However, officials warned that price movements remain volatile and dependent on global developments, particularly in the Middle East, where disruptions to supply routes could trigger further spikes.

Transport groups have also urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to consider using emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel, a measure that could provide broader relief across the sector.

The President on Monday said he approved the suspension of excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene to soften the impact of rising fuel costs on households, while leaving levies on gasoline and diesel unchanged.

The selective suspension is expected to provide modest relief to household budgets but may have limited effect on transport costs and inflation, which are more sensitive to diesel prices.