The Negros United Transport Coalition (NUTC) will not be holding a two-day transportation strike in Bacolod City starting Monday, September 23, its leaders assured Sunday.
They instead will be supporting the nationwide strike initiated by Manibela and the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) through peaceful protests that will not involve a halt of their operations, Lilian Sembrano – Kabacod Negros Transport Coalition (KNETCO) president, said.
They decided not to stage a strike so that elementary, high school and college students’ exams that have been reset to Monday and Tuesday, following the cancellation of classes last week due to heavy rains and flooding, will not be disrupted, Sembrano said.
She said they had proven during their August 14 and 15 traditional jeepney strike in Bacolod that because of the lack of public utility vehicles thousands were stranded.
NUTC composed of KNETCO, the Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators and Drivers (BACOD) and the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC) is also submitting a letter of intent to Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Monday for the renewal of their franchises, business permits and registration.
She said their priority is the immediate renewal of their franchises that was not granted because of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) and they appreciate the mayor’s help based on their dialog on Sept. 17.
The mayor has assured that he will help the traditional jeepneys to continue to coexist with modern jeepneys operating in Bacolod, which was one of their considerations for not staging a strike, Sembrano said.
There are more than 1,000 traditional jeepneys operating in Bacolod City without franchises and insurance, Rudy Catedral, BACOD president, said.
Catedral said the city government did not grant them permits to set up five protest areas around Bacolod on Monday and Tuesday.
They, however, will still hold peaceful protest in Bacolod to air their grievances even if they were not granted permits, Sembrano said.
Sembrano said they will be reiterating their call for the abolition of the PTMP and the restoration of the 5-year individual franchises.
They are also condemning their “unlawful” arrests by the police during their protest in Bacolod on Sept. 18, she said.
The participants of the nationwide strike will also condemn the Bacolod arrests, Catedral said.
Among the demands of those joining the nationwide protest are the junking of the PTMP, cancellation of the forced franchise consolidation, and renewal of franchises and registrations for all public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, including those who choose not to consolidate.*