The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the government has a contingency plan to deal with a three-day transport strike that is planned to coincide with the President’s second State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
More than 10 of the biggest transport groups in Metro Manila and other parts of the country also decided Tuesday not to join the three-day strike planned by the Manibela group’s 200,000 members from July 24 to 26 to coincide with the SONA.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte announced the suspension of classes in all levels for private and public schools on July 24 in view of the SONA.
While some schools are on vacation already, summer classes may be affected due to the closure of some roads in Quezon City.
Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevarra, MMDA acting Chairman Don Artes, and MMDA General Manager Undersecretary Procopio Lipana presided over a meeting yesterday with various government agencies and Metro Manila traffic bureau heads.
The officials discussed measures to ensure that the commuting public will not be inconvenienced by the transport strike.
The plan includes dispatching rescue vehicles to ferry passengers that might be affected and monitoring the weather condition on the day of the President’s SONA.
“We request the LGUs (local government units) to cooperate with the single dispatching system of the rescue assets at the MMDA Command Center on the day itself. During the last transport strike, we were able to monitor through the CCTV cameras the convergence of rallyists, and can easily call the PNP (Philippine National Police) to maintain peace and order,” said Guevarra.
Artes said the team is prepared because of lessons learned from the previous transport strike in March.
“We were able to address the needs of the riding public before because of the united efforts of the government with agencies and 17 Metro Manila local government units,” Artes said.
At a news conference in Quezon City, Roberto Martin or Ka Obet of Pangkahalatang Sanggunian Manila at Suburbs Drivers Association (Pasang-Masda) said the so-called Magnificent 7 will not participate in the transport strike to be led by Manibela president Mar Valbuena.
The seven groups are composed of Pasang Masada, the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Altodap), Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO), Federation of Jeepneys Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap), Stop and Go, and Liga ng mga Transportasyon (LTOP).
“No to transport strike. We will go out to serve the riding public,” Martin said.
The UV Express, Taxi National Organization, Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP), and Private Bus Operators Association (PBOA) shared the same sentiments.
“We fully support the government’s program as well as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Teofilo Guadiz III,” Martin said.
Guadiz and Office of Transportation Cooperatives chairman Jesus Ferdinand Ortega joined the transport leaders during the media briefing.
“A transport strike will not solve the problems of the public transport industry,” Martin said.
He said he believes only a few public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators would join the strike.
The groups backed the government’s PUV modernization under a cooperative, stressing that drivers and operators are still the owners of their vehicles.
Guadiz, for his part, said they are attending to the concerns of the transport groups, and that they are taking appropriate actions.
Ortega said “the government is listening and looking for solutions based on the complaints and concerns (of the transport sector).”
“What is important here is that we know what the processes and consultation are, and what the proper venue should be to achieve our solutions toward the country’s transportation system improvement,” he added.
Manibela said it will push through with its planned three-day strike in opposition to the PUV modernization program.
It will hold its strike from July 24 to 26 against the Dec. 31 deadline for the consolidation phase of the modernization program.