MARCH 23, 2026 — Another week, another fuel price hike — and this time, jeepney drivers are saying “enough.” The Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) and the National Federation of Transport Cooperatives (NFTC) have declared a nationwide transport holiday, halting operations to protest the relentless surge in fuel costs. For commuters, this means longer waits, fewer rides, and yet another reminder that the country’s transport lifeline is hanging by a thread.

ACTO president Libay de Luna said, “Talagang hindi namin kakayanin na. Kaya kami sa Lunes, magta-transport holiday kami nationwide.” 

(We really cannot endure this anymore. That’s why on Monday, we will hold a nationwide transport holiday.) 

She explained that many drivers are scraping by with as little as ₱150 a day — barely enough to cover food, let alone loan payments for modern jeepney units mandated under the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program.

The Department of Energy has already warned of another painful round of increases: diesel up by ₱16.50 to ₱17.50 per liter, gasoline by ₱7.50 to ₱8.50, and kerosene by ₱6.90 to ₱8.90. Some stations are already selling fuel at nearly ₱100 per liter, with diesel projected to hit ₱120. 

For drivers, that’s a chokehold.

This isn’t the first time transport groups have taken to the streets — or, in this case, parked their vehicles. PISTON staged a strike just days ago, while other groups like Fejodap and LTOP have opted to negotiate with the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB, banking on promises of subsidies and fare hikes. 

LTOP president Orlando Marquez even admitted, “We will postpone [our transport strike] for now. Because we were told that the ₱2 fare increase we’re requesting and the ₱10,000 subsidy might be granted.”

Commuters are caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between government promises and drivers’ survival. Local governments, anticipating chaos, have already suspended classes in cities like Iloilo. And while transport leaders insist their holiday is peaceful — no roadblocks, no rallies — the absence of jeepneys is disruption enough. For millions of Filipinos, jeepneys aren’t just vehicles; they’re the arteries of daily life.

The demands are straightforward: expedite fuel subsidies, lift the suspension on fare hikes, continue service contracting, and grant moratoriums on loans tied to modernization. These are lifelines. 

As De Luna put it, “It’s very hard to earn money with our line of work now that the prices of fuel are so high. We don’t even have enough to feed our families, what more to pay the banks the money that we owe because of complying with the government’s modernization program?”

The irony is, the modernization program was supposed to uplift drivers and commuters alike, promising safer, cleaner, more efficient transport. Yet today, it’s the very reason many drivers are drowning in debt, forced to choose between feeding their families and paying for shiny new units they never asked for. 

So here we are, jeepneys parked, commuters stranded, and a nation once again reminded that when fuel prices rise unchecked, it’s not just drivers who suffer — it’s everyone.

Can this administration deliver more than platitudes before the country’s transport backbone collapses?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)