Business and labor groups called on the government to review the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) and increase government support through financial institutions to build the local jeepney industry’s production capacity.“We believe that this program, which includes the phase-out of jeepneys—a cultural icon in the Philippines—will impact the livelihoods of countless jeepney operators, drivers, and their families,” the groups said in a statement.The groups composed fo the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), noted the lack o of “just transition” in the formulation, execution and oversight of the PUVMP.The program failed to include jeepney operators and drivers in the consultation meeting resulting in designs that may not be best suited for the realities of the transportation system, they said.The program places a heavy financial burden on operators, and there is insufficient compensation offered for surrendering existing jeepneys, leaving operators struggling to shoulder the cost of new vehicles.Even with financing options, the high cost of imported modern jeepneys, ranging from P2.5 million to P3 million, makes ownership unrealistic for many, the groups said.
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