By Stacy Boit,
Hundreds of transport workers in the Philippines’ capital Manila have gone on strike over rising fuel costs.
Diesel and petrol prices have more than doubled since the Iran war broke out on 28 February – with the Philippines now in a state of national energy emergency.
One 62-year-old driver in Manila told the BBC the situation was getting increasingly desperate, saying he had no food to support his five children and had not received any cash aid from the government.
As the two-day strike started on Thursday a ship carrying more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude oil arrived in the country. President Ferdinand Marcos’ spokeswoman said.
Press Secretary Claire Castro told reporters that the Sierra Leone-flagged Sara Sky arrived earlier this week with the crude shipment.
Marcos had promised to look for new sources of oil as the country had been relying on supplies that pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 98% of its requirements.
The transport coalitions leading the strike have laid out sweeping demands from scrapping fuel taxes and rolling back oil prices, to abandoning deregulation and introducing state controls. They are also pushing for fare increases and higher wages.
Groups of protesters gathered in different areas across the capital today holding signs and calling for the government to do more to help.
Many of them were drivers of jeepneys – mini-buses known for their cheap fares. Motorcycle and car ride-hailing drivers were also among those who earlier said they would join protests, according to local reports.
Some said they had not received the payout of 5,000 pesos ($83; £62) that the Department of Social Welfare and Development had said certain drivers would be eligible for.
“I lined up for more than five hours yesterday for the cash aid from the government, but my name was not there,” said 62-year-old Guillermo Japole, adding that he had received “no cash aid, no earnings, no food for the family”.
Guillermo, whose five children are in school, says his family is on the edge of being evicted from their rental home.
Another driver, 28-year-old Anjo Lilac similarly said he had not received any aid. He brought his daughter Hannah to the protest.
“No one will look after her since my wife got a temporary job,” he explained. “It’s a financial aid helping us for food, house rent and most especially the milk for our baby.”
Some jeepney drivers told the BBC they might go back to their hometowns to look for other jobs.
“It feels like we are being choked. It’s really tough. We don’t know where can we get money to provide for our families,” said Ronnie Rillosa, 58, who has been a jeepney driver for 30 years.
“We don’t need cash aid if the government will cut the prices of fuel, food, electricity, water.” The effects of the planned two-day strike are already being felt by Manila’s commuters.
This is one of Asia’s most congested cities, where commuters sometimes spend hours getting to work.
Arnold Irinco was part of a line of commuters on Thursday morning who were queuing up for a free ride provided by the government.
The 52-year-old liaison officer told the BBC that he had been waiting for 30 minutes. He added, however, that he understood why drivers had gone on strike.
“I do understand what the protesters are fighting for,” he said. “This is their livelihood, they had mouths to feed, they need to live. As a commuter, I need to understand their situation as well.”
Finally Philippine President Marcos has signed a law allowing for the suspension of fuel taxes as Dubai crude oil prices exceed $80 per barrel. To manage the energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, the government has already declared a national state of energy emergency, implemented a four-day work week for civil servants, and subsidized transport drivers.
While business leaders like tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan back these emergency powers to stabilize the economy, labor groups have hit back. The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) coalition criticized the move as an admission of government failure and raised alarms over “anti-worker” provisions that could be used to restrict strikes and labor activities during the emergency.
