MARCH 26, 2026 — Transport groups across the Philippines have launched a two-day nationwide strike, paralyzing public transport and putting the spotlight on skyrocketing fuel prices now breaching ₱100 per liter due to Middle East tensions. The strike is not just about fares — it’s about survival, dignity, and the government’s role in protecting its citizens.

From jeepneys to motorcycle taxis, buses to TNVS drivers, the coalition behind the No to Oil Price Hike movement has made sure their absence is felt. Aurora Boulevard in Cubao turned into a protest hub as drivers and commuters gathered to demand relief. Their call is clear: remove VAT and excise taxes on fuel, roll back pump prices to ₱55 per liter, scrap the Oil Deregulation Law, and nationalize the oil industry.

PISTON captured the sentiment best: “Ramdam na ramdam ng mga drayber at ng kanilang mga pamilya ang krisis sa kanilang kumakalam na sikmura, at ramdam din ito ng bawat komyuter na wala nang masakyan sa kalsadang nagsisilagasan na ang mga pumapasadang tsuper.”

(Drivers and their families are feeling the crisis in their growling stomachs, and every commuter is also feeling it because no public transport vehicles are available.)

Progressive groups like SANLAKAS and Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino joined the strike, framing it as a fight for a ₱1,200 family living wage and against a system that leaves the poor at the mercy of global oil shocks.

Meanwhile, government agencies scrambled to provide free rides, but let’s be honest: a few buses won’t erase the frustration of commuters stranded in Metro Manila traffic. The bigger issue is whether the government will continue to hide behind “global market forces” or finally confront the structural problems of deregulation and taxation.

Fuel prices are soaring because of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, pushing global oil markets into chaos. For us, that translates into pump prices crossing ₱100 per liter — a figure that makes every trip to the gas station feel like a robbery.

The strike is another wake-up call. Why should drivers and commuters carry the burden of geopolitical wars they have no part in?

(Image: Philippine News Agency)