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The Philippines
This Week in Asia

Philippines’ iconic jeepneys face final stop as drivers strike against ‘ill-thought out’ Jan 1 phase-out deadline

  • Jeepney drivers across Manila went on strike on Friday to protest the government’s phase-out plan, fearing job loss and financial burden
  • President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr remains firm on the deadline, as tensions rise over the future of the Philippines’ iconic minibuses

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Jeepney drivers shout slogans as they stage a protest rally during a transport strike in Manila on December 29. Photo: EPA-EFE
Raissa Robles
With the deadline for a mandated phase-out of jeepney minibuses looming on January 1, drivers of the Philippines’ most iconic public transport vehicle held a mass strike and demonstration in the capital of Manila and other cities on Friday demanding the government change course.
But President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has stood firm on his December 12 decision to enforce the phase-out’s deadline, writing on social media that it would “not be moved”.
Because “70 per cent of all operators have already committed to and consolidated under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernisation Programme (PUVMP). We cannot let the minority cause further delays,” Marcos Jnr wrote in a post on social media platform X.

When the programme goes into effect on Monday, all traditional jeepneys that are at least 15 years old will lose their government-issued franchises and will no longer be able to operate legally as public utility transport.

When the programme goes into effect on Monday, all 41,918 of the country’s traditional jeepneys will lose their government-issued franchises to operate as public transportation. However, temporary permits to continue operating will be provided to owners who tell the government by Sunday that they will take part in the PUVMP’s “consolidation programme” by joining or forming cooperatives to acquire modern Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs).

Jeepneys have been a mainstay of Philippines public transportation for the last seven decades. Although their drivers are known for their recklessness, the vehicles have become a beloved icon for their flamboyant paint jobs, decals and gilded accessories.

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