As the public transport sector continues to feel the crunch of the fuel crisis that started in March, the government has reiterated that its support will continue to come in the form of targeted subsidies and initiatives. While Malacañang assures transport groups that it understands their continued calls for fare hikes, the Palace has described this solution as a “last resort.”
Malacañang Palace press officer Claire Castro commented on the fare hike petitions: “Sana po yun ang magiging last resort. Yun ang panalangin. Hindi po kasi sa ngayon inclined talaga na magtaas ng pamasahe para sa ating mga kababayan, pero hindi po naman sinasara ang pintuan patungkol po dito.”
The statement echoes the administration’s hesitance to raise fare prices at the expense of commuters.
PHOTO BY Victory Liner Facebook
In a separate statement, acting Department of Transportation secretary Giovanni Lopez added that the government is currently exhausting all its options to mitigate the impact of the fuel crisis: “Ito po yung sinasabi ko parati na at this point in time po, pinipiga pa rin natin ang gobyerno—kung anong pwede nating ibigay na inisyatibo, subsidiya.”
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Lopez also warned that if fares were to be raised, it could exacerbate the Philippines’ high inflation rate, which was at 6.1% in August. This would in turn raise the prices of services and goods across the board. To this point, he remains hopeful that the initiatives of the DOTr and the government will be enough to support the transport sector.
PHOTO BY Sharleen Banzon
As it stands, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahang Tsuper at Operator Nationwide is set to push through with its two-day transport strike on September 29 and 30. This will be the latest in a series of strikes and demonstrations from various groups urging more prompt action from the administration.
Earlier this week, another major fuel price hike took effect, bringing the average price of diesel at the pump to over P100 per liter. The Department of Energy also stated in a press conference that a return to prewar fuel prices within the year is unlikely.