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OneNETnews EXCLUSIVE: Local Transport Group in Negros Oriental opts out of Nationwide Transport Strike ensures continued operation amidst challenges of PUJ Modernization Programme

DUMAGUETE, NEGROS ORIENTAL -- National transport groups, namely the Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers para sa Karapatan sa Paggawa (MANIBELA) and Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) declares a nationwide transport strike on Sunday (November 19th, 2023), which is for the unconsolidated individuals. However, Central Visayas-wide including Cebu, Bacolod, Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental, have chosen not to partake in this regional transport strike during the upcoming Holiday and New Year's Eve celebrations in the early first weekend of 2024.

(FILE PHOTO COURTESY for REPRESENTATION: Negros News Online)

Romeo Subaldo, a former News Chief of ABS-CBN Bacolod (now Kapamilya Channel: Bacolod) and current Regional Multimedia News Anchor of Favorite Music Radio & Digicast Negros, shared his insights on the matter during the final minutes of his local radio newscast of 'Arangkada Negrosanon Balita' at 6:30am on Monday morning (Bacolod local time). Subaldo emphasized that the jeepney franchises in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental will not participate in the regional strike: "I think sa mga probinsya po na sang Transport Strike sa Metro at Mega Manlia, wala ma gupod ang mga provinces naton… Sa mga taga-Metro at Mega Manila nila ng Transport Strike, kana ka nausang Department of Education (DepEd) kahapon ng Linggo (Nobyembre 19th, 2023) na way klase sa Maynila na may Transport Strike. Pero diri sa aton, padayon na pag-biyahe sa mga di pa-pasaherong mga salakyan", Subaldo said in the exclusive radio interview to OneNETnews via Facebook LIVE video.

In an exclusive phone patch interview, where it was independently verified to OneNETnews as one local transport group in-charge of Bindoy-Mabinay-Bais Transport Cooperative (BIMBATCO) named Rey Alpeche, a representative in-charge of the Bindoy-Mabinay-Bais Transport Cooperative (BIMBATCO) in Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental, confirmed that they are not part of the nationwide transport strike. Alpeche highlighted the importance of paperwork consolidation and their close monitoring of the cooperatively-owned jeepney units: "So far in Negros Oriental, maliliit lang yung persiyento ang unconsolidated. Sa aming kooperatiba, lahat kami consolidated [ng BIMBATCO] na single indibidual mga sa tingin ko siguro, mga 20 to 30 ganun. Lahat naman na cooperatiba dito is nag ko-consolidate, hindi kami sasali sa transport strike. Ano naman silbi kasi consildated na po kami. I'm meaning to say that, hindi po talaga phase out dere-diretso. Yung ang unconsolidated ng kina-kansela na prankisa nila o franchise", Alpeche said in an online media interview on Friday afternoon (December 29th, 2023).

(CONTRIBUTED FILE PHOTO COURTESY for REPRESENTATION: The Philippine Star)

He emphasized that their cooperative of BIMBATCO is already consolidated and therefore unaffected by the phase-out of older jeepney units in Negros Oriental. While concerns regarding commuting without modernized jeepneys in the future, and the availability of unemployment benefits were raised from the SSS or GSIS (Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System), Alpeche clarified that these issues do not directly impact BIMBATCO and other localized transport groups: "Yung amining nila ng gobyerno is to consolidate. Consolidation is yung mga papeles ng iko-consolidate kasi hindi na po biro na yung gobyerno na for example… Hindi kaya ng LTFRB o Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board na mag-monitor ng indibidual na prangkisa o operators. Kailangan mo i-monitor yung sa kooperatiba kasi, yung sa sinabing cooperative ay mo-monitor ng mga [Jeepney] units", he added.

(FILE PHOTO COURTESY: Google Images)

Loans in Negros Oriental, with the example of government-owned banking 'Landbank' cannot cover all the jeepney vehicle modernization expenses and was yet to be revisted in the Q1 of 2024 or later. Nonetheless, BIMBATCO needs to reassess areas for modernization based on its passenger volumes: "Kailangang po talaga e-revisit mo na yung [sinabing probinsya] ng Negros Oriental kasi, sa amin ngayon may modernized jeepney galing isa, taas namin kinuha yun. Ang problema, hindi talaga kaya ang umo-utang ta sa banko. Pag umo-utang pa ron, siguradong hindi na ka mababayad. Sa Negros Oriental ang problema kasi, wala po tayo mga masyadong volume ng pasahero o passengers. So, kailangan po naming na e-revisit muna yung every area na kailangan na modernisasyon".

Alpeche suggested that if drivers were to become unemployed and experience a decrease in income for commuting purposes, they would need to be re-hired, despite of the upcoming nationwide transport strike including Negros Oriental. He expressed the drivers' resistance to the boundary system and emphasized that drivers earn more than the operators themselves: "Meron nang dahan-dahan na tayong phase-out, yung mga driver din yun is ire-hire din. Saan pong kami kukuha ang driver sa kanila rin? Kasi ayaw ng mga drivers na itong nangyari. Ayaw kasi ng mga drivers is boundaring system yun ng mga drivers. Mas malaki pa yung kita kaysa sa operator".

The consolidation process for BIMBATCO began in 2018 or 2019 and was soon to expire by 2024, as early as 6 years before the December 31st, 2024 deadline on Sunday. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. stated that there would be no extensions for the nationwide and regional jeepney phase-out for the unconsolidated individuals, urging sincerity from the government. He also pointed out the lack of communication with the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Negros Oriental: "Dapat unahin natin yung LTFRB, we do talk with the cooperatives na kabisado yung ruta. Kasi, kami ang nakakaalam so ruta kung pwede bang dagdagan, pwede bang tanggalan ng [Jeepney] units at i-modernize. Kasi, kami yung apektado at kami yung may alam pero, pag wala namang threat nandito sa Negros Oriental sa ngayon, hindi nai-tolerate yan. We don't talk to the government. At saka, pag wala pang consolidation po sa kanila ng ilang taon na palaging ine-extend, paano naman kami which is so unfair for us na hindi na ko-consolidate as early as 2018 o 2019, na palagi sinabing ine-extend. Pag ayaw talaga ang consolidasyon, ayaw na din talaga ng extensyon". Alpeche expressed frustration with the extension of consolidation deadlines and the unfair treatment of cooperatives that have already consolidated to them. Alpeche expressed frustration with the extension of consolidation deadlines and the unfair treatment of cooperatives that had already consolidated.

(FILE PHOTO COURTESY: Bayan Negros)

Fortunately in conclusion… Western and Central Visayas, including Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, are not participating in the regional transport strike. BIMBATCO has ensured the necessary paperwork and franchises to secure the continued operation of their regional vehicle franchises without any revocations or phasing out in the new year by January 1st, 2024.

The transportation crisis in Metro and Mega Manila is a significant concern for MANIBELA and PISTON. Drivers are pushing for the modernization of new jeepney vehicles under the Public Utility Jeepney & Public Utility Vehicle - Modernization Programme (PUJ/PUV-MP) as a last resort to preserve the driving culture associated with older jeepneys. However, individual Filipino drivers cannot afford this potential upgrade.

OneNETnews has learned that Negros Oriental will no longer participate in the local transport strike for now, as confirmed by Alpeche of BIMBATCO. They have sought legal assistance to ensure proper registration and consolidation by the Land Transportion Office (LTO) and LTFRB, allowing them to operate safely and normally in Central Visayas.

A big SPECIAL THANKS to Neil Ceriño Rio of DYGB-FM 91.7 MHz's Power91FM and Fil News Balita: Cable TV 6 in Dumaguete City for their assistance in contacting BIMBATCO and facilitating our phone patch interview and local news report. Also, you can listen a full phone patched interview provided below the source links. Thank you!

PHOTO COURTESY: Rhayniel Saldasal Calimpong (Freelanced Photojournalist and Media News Presenter of OneNETnews) CONTRIBUTED LOGO via FB PHOTO BACKGROUND PROVIDED BY: Tegna

SOURCE: *https://archive.org/details/onenetnews-interviews-with-bimbatcos-rey-alpeche [Exclusive Audio Interview from OneNETnews with Rey Alpeche - Dec292023] *https://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/puv-modernization-program-jeepney-phaseout-guide-a4354-20230310-lfrm [Referenced Editorial News Article via Top Gear Philippines] *https://www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/analysis-rethink-public-utility-vehicles-transportation-modernization-focus-commuters/ [Referenced Editorial News Article via Rappler] *https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1213731 [Referenced News Article via Philippine News Agency] *https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/20/iloilo-city-unaffected-by-transport-strike [Referenced News Article via Manila Bulletin] *https://watchmendailyjournal.com/2023/12/09/transport-strike-mulled-bacolod-transport-group-protest-vs-franchise-consolidation/ [Referenced News Article #1 via Watchmen Daily Journal] *https://watchmendailyjournal.com/2023/12/13/impending-phase-2-transport-groups-bacolod-refuse-join-transport-strike/ [Referenced News Article #2f via Watchmen Daily Journal] *https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/cebu-transport-groups-will-not-join-3-day-strike [Referenced Mini News Article from SunStar: Cebu] *https://www.facebook.com/100063703909926/posts/668507635282694 [Referenced FB News Article via The NORSUnian] and *https://www.facebook.com/107637454505360/posts/107640491171723 [Contributed BIMBATCO Logo via FB PHOTO]

-- OneNETnews Team