There will be no transport strike in Bacolod City on Monday, March 6.
The Bacolod Modernized Transport Group and the three major transport associations in the city on Sunday announced that they are not joining the strike.
A nationwide transport strike is set from March 6 to 12, to contest the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013, which set a June 30 deadline for individual operators to join the modernization program or risk losing their franchises.
The deadline has since been extended to December 31.
Junjun Asis, secretary general of Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Negros, said his group along with the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Associations and the United Negros Drivers Operators Center are not joining the strike on Monday.
They will instead hold a prayer rally at the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod at 11 a.m. on Monday, he said.
Asis said they are not joining the strike since Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has already assisted them to avail of provisional authorities to operate from the LTFRB.
“We thank the city government and the LTO for allowing us to continue to operate until now. We cannot give the city of Bacolod a problem, especially the riding public, by joining the strike”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Bacolod Modernized Transport Group at a press conference Sunday said they would not join a strike because they cannot stop serving the commuters. Their franchise, being a privilege granted to them, will be at stake if they stop operations, they said.
Present at the press conference were Noli Apostol Jamora of the MBMJ & Uy Transport Corp.
Alijis route, Rosalie Antones – MBMJ & Uy Transport Corp. Bata route, Romelie Soliguen of
UNETCO Cooperative, Joseph Soberano of Loverboy Soberano Transport Inc., Philip D. Burata of Choret Corp., Rosciel Catalogo of Rico Catalogo Corp., and Jerry Oleta of Granada Public Transport Corp.
Nerissa Jamora and Ma. Corazon M. Ocalinas are the liason officers of the Bacolod Modernized Transport Group.*