黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The proposed P2.00 increase in the minimum jeepney fare from P13.00 to P15.00 would be futile without reducing the cost of fuel, Piston national president Mody Floranda said on Tuesday.

Floranda, who is running for senator in the 2025 midterm elections, made this remark in response to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board鈥檚 (LTFRB) ongoing review of the fare hike petition.

鈥淜arapatan naman ng mga driver at operator ang dagdag kita, pero walang saysay ang dagdag kita kung patuloy naman na tumataas ang presyo ng petrolyo,鈥� Floranda told 黑料社 in a phone interview.

(Drivers and operators deserve additional income, but it would be meaningless if fuel prices continue to rise.)

鈥淎ng gustuhin po ng gobyerno ay ipasa 鈥榶ung burden, 鈥榶ung hirap sa ating mga commuters,鈥� he emphasized.

(The government wants to pass the burden and difficulty to our commuters.)

Floranda argued that rather than focusing solely on fare adjustments, the government should prioritize removing excise taxes on petroleum products.

鈥淒apat ang ginagawa ng gobyerno, 鈥榶ung tanggalin ang excise tax sa produktong petrolyo. Para at least, hindi lang isang sektor 鈥榶ung makinabang kundi lahat ng mga mamamayan,鈥� Floranda explained.

(What the government should do is remove excise taxes on fuel products. This way, not just one sector, instead everyone would benefit.)

When asked if he saw the LTFRB鈥檚 review of the fare hike petition as merely a temporary fix, Floranda replied: 鈥淥po, at tingin natin na gustong pagtakpan ng gobyerno 鈥榶ung mga dinadanas ng ating sektor, ng ating mga mamamayan.鈥�

(Yes, and we believe the government is trying to cover up the struggles of our sector and our people.)

Floranda also pointed out the need for the government to address jeepney drivers鈥� and commuters鈥� concerns rather than pitting the two sectors against each other.

鈥淜aya ang sinasabi nga natin na dapat tanggalin ng gobyerno ay 鈥榶ung matataas na buwis sa produktong petrolyo,鈥� he reiterated.

(That鈥檚 why we are saying the government should remove high taxes on petroleum products.)

鈥淜ung sinasabi nila na pwede maging P15 ang minimum [fare], ay pinapasa lang yung bigat sa ating mga mamamayan,鈥� Floranda concluded

(If they say the minimum fare can be raised to P15, they鈥檙e just passing the burden to the people.)

The LTFRB is reviewing the petition to raise the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys from P13 to P15, as transport groups continue to cite soaring fuel prices and inflation.

Piston, however, remained firm in advocating for systemic reforms, such as tax reductions, to ensure long-term solutions for jeepney drivers, operators, and commuters.