MANILA -- The national government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) will not only facilitate the operations of PUVs, it will also generate more jobs in the transport sector, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista said on Saturday.
In a media forum in Quezon City, Bautista pointed out that the PUVMP, particularly the process of consolidation of PUV operators into cooperatives or corporations, has numerous benefits for the commuters as well as the transport workers.
“Well, siguro ho na-explain na natin maraming beses iyong benefit noong consolidation kaya nga dapat ma-explain sa kanila na kapag nag-consolidate ay magiging mas malakas iyong organisasyon nila, magiging efficient iyong operations, mawawala na iyong boundary system, iyong mga drivers ay susuweldo sila nang tama, magtatrabaho sila ng tamang oras, hindi iyong nagmamaneho ng 18 to 20 hours a day,” the DOTr chief said.
“At the same time magkakaroon pa ng additional trabaho iyong ibang tao dahil magkakaroon tayo ng mga mekaniko, magkakaroon tayo ng dispatchers, magkakaroon tayo ng administrative staff, and parang mapapatakbo natin nang maayos iyong bawat cooperative or mga korporasyon na magku-consolidate,” Bautista added.
The DOTr made the statement to dissuade transport group Manibela from staging a weeklong strike, starting on March 6, a Monday.
Bautista noted that the PUVMP, under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., will ultimately boil down to giving comfortable, efficient, and reliable public transport to the commuting public.
“Sa palagay namin from the Department of Transportation ay napaka importante para makapagbigay tayo ng maayos na serbisyo sa ating mga commuters,” he said, citing that they already reached out to transport group Manibela to address its concerns regarding the PUVMP.
Meanwhile, at the same news forum, DOTr Undersecretary Reinier Yebra warned that those who would be joining the transport group strike could face both administrative and criminal sanctions.
“Bukod po doon sa kumbaga may mga violation, maaari po silang kasuhan kasi kapag halimbawa sila ay nanakit o kaya ay nanira ng property, iyon po ay ipinagbabawal. Iyon po ay may mga katumbas na criminal penalties,” Yebra said.
“Pero bukod po doon mayroon din hong tinatawag na mga administrative penalties. Kasi kung kayo po ay franchise holder, mayroon po kayong obligasyon na magbigay ng serbisyo sa publiko. Kapag iyan po ay inyong hindi ginawa at imbes ay nag-welga o kaya ay kumbaga nag-violate iyong conditions of your franchise ay pwede pong i-revoke iyan,” the DOTr official noted.
For his part, Pasang-Masda president Obet Martin said a transport strike is not the solution to the concerns of the sector, calling on his fellow transport workers to work with the government and support the PUVMP.
“At nabanggit na rin po ng kalihim kanina na during their meeting yesterday in Malacañang ay talagang all out support po ang ating PNP, all out support ang local government kaya kailangan po siguro nating magkaisa tayo,” Martin said.
“Hindi ho natin dapat, sa aking pananaw, hindi ho natin dapat i-entertain ang ganyang klase ng mga samahan sapagkat walang iniisip na kabutihan sa kapakanan ng ating mananakay,” he added, referring to the planned transport group strike of Manibela.
According to reports, Manibela, a transport and party-list group, is the only UV Express (UVE) transport organization that would stage the transport group strike in Metro Manila in protest of the LTFRB guidelines on the end of consolidation of the PUVMP. (PND)
