The rising costs not only of basic goods but also services such as transportation in the province of Laguna has had many ordinary workers, who rely on public transportation, once again forced to tighten their belts further.
There's no doubt about it. It’s getting harder and harder for ordinary Filipinos to stretch their budgets.
The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that the country's inflation rate soared to 6.1 percent last September have only confirmed a sad truth: prices of basic goods and services have indeed spiraled in the past months.
It appears that the recent wage hikes implemented in the Calabarzon region (a P35 to P50 raise in the daily minimum wage) still fail to catch up with the spiraling cost of everyday living.
Transport fare hikes
Aside from basic needs such as food, ordinary employees have found themselves hit hard by the recent increases in the fares in public transportation.
The recent news that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has raised the minimum fare for public utility jeepneys (from P12 to P13 for traditional jeepneys and from P14 to P15 for modern jeepneys) effective October 8 did not sit well with blue-collar workers who rely on public transportation to get to their destinations.
"May dalawa akong anak na nag aaral. Tanging asawa ko lang ang nagtatrabaho. Dagdag pasanin pa itong pagtaas nang pasahe," netizen Zaravylee Lim commented to OpinYon Laguna's social media page.
Double whammy
In San Pedro City, Laguna, in particular, commuters were already complaining about the exorbitant fares being charged by some tricycle drivers in the city.
Last month, the San Pedro City LGU enacted City Ordinance No. 2023-05, which amended the current fares for tricycles in the city.
Under the new ordinance, minimum tricycle fares were raised from P10 to P15 for the first kilometer, with an additional P1 for every succeeding kilometer.
However, issues were soon raised by commuters regarding the “special” rate for tricycles, which now range from P45 to P80 in some areas.
Not only that, San Pedronians also expressed their frustration at alleged incidents of tricycle drivers forcing passengers to take the much more expensive “special trips” or failing to give discounts to students.
In a recent social media post, for instance, netizen Everard Keanne from Barangay San Antonio alleged that some tricycle drivers in his village refuse to give discounts to students outside of school hours or on weekends and holidays.
“Maaaring yung iba ay matatawa dito dahil sa pinaglalaban kong barya barya lang. Para po sa kaalaman ninyo, malaking bagay sa aming mga estudyante ang barya. Karamihan po sa amin ay palamunin pa lang ng magulang at wala pang sariling pera. Kaya sana huwag niyo nang ipagkait samin ang discount na ito,” he said in his Facebook post on September 15.
Minimal effect?
Meanwhile, for the jeepney drivers who were supposed to benefit from the fare increase, the LTFRB decision is "ineffective", to say the least, in helping them tide over their daily lives.
"Bagamat magdadagdag ng piso ang minimum na pasahe, hindi pa rin po sapat iyon, lalo na't mataas pa rin po ang presyo ng petrolyo at mga produkto na ginagamit namin [sa pag-maintain] ng aming mga jeepney," "Apple," a jeepney driver from San Pedro City, said in a message to OpinYon Laguna. "Pero malaking bagay na rin po para sa amin iyon, kahit na piso lang ang dagdag."
Other drivers, on the other hand, believe the fare hike should have been two pesos instead to defray their daily costs.
“Malaki po ang nawala sa amin, imbes kasi na P1,000 lang ang ginagastos namin sa araw-araw sa krudo, ngayon P1,500 na,” “Mang Padjo,” another jeepney driver, told OpinYon Laguna. “Partida may pamilya pa akong binubuhay, tapos yung bunso ko pinag-aaral ko pa sa college. “
Although many jeepney drivers in Laguna province, including "Apple" and his fellow drivers at the transport cooperative he works for, have already received fuel subsidies from the national government, he says what they really need are long-term solutions to their long-standing issues.
"Ang hinaing lang po namin ay dapat talaga mabawasan o mapigilan po ang pagtaas ng krudo," he stated.
That’s what also Mang “Padjo” told OpinYon Laguna, saying, “Sana yung presyo ng krudo na lang ang bawasan kasi pag pamasahe yung mga nagcocommute apektado e pamilya ko nagcocommute din, wala rin nangyayari doon.”
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