The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has said the series of strikes and protest rallies of transport groups since last year were a failure, stating President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. already made a final decision rejecting their appeal and instead pushing for the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program.
“If the measure of their success is the disruption of public transport, causing inconvenience to commuters, and we are offering free rides, I don’t think it’s a success,” MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said.
“Our president has already said that the modernization program will not be suspended. In that aspect, I can say that the strike was not successful,” he added.
The MMDA also believes the national government has reached a point where it can no longer be held hostage by defiant groups through threats and transport strikes.
Artes attributed the minimal effects of transport strikes in the past few years to the vast experience gained in preparations and responses to past protest actions aimed at paralyzing public transportation.
He acknowledged the fact that transport strikes had successfully paralyzed public transportation in Metro Manila and other urban areas nationwide in the past, sometimes leading to class suspensions.
But in recent years, Artes said, they observed minimal effects due to strategic planning to cushion the impact, including the deployment of vehicles for “libreng sakay” or free rides.
