MANILA — Several transport groups on Friday reiterated their call for a fare hike following weeks of oil price increases.

Representatives from various groups, led by Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) President Orlando Marquez, trooped to the office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to request a P2 nationwide fare hike.

“Hirap na hirap na po kami sa pamamasada dahil ang aming pamasahe na nakokolekta sa tao, regulated fare,” said Marquez in an interview with the media after submitting a letter to the agency.

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Local pump prices rose in the past 5 weeks, with diesel prices even going up by P4 per liter last Tuesday.

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In their letter, the group invoked a Memorandum Circular issued by the LTFRB in 2019 which established an automatic fare adjustment scheme.

Marquez claimed that under the scheme, if fuel prices go up or down, fares of jeepneys, buses, taxis, and UV express should be adjusted accordingly following the fare adjustment formula "without the need for public hearings and other special proceedings."

But Marquez said this was not being implemented by the agency.

Some commuters urged the government to focus on controlling oil prices so they would not have to bear the brunt of the proposed fare hike.

“Dalawa estudyante ko, araw-araw pumapasok. E yung P12 na minimum ngayon, magiging P14 na, mabigat po. Kaya kailangan yung mag-aadjust dyan yung gasolina,” said commuter Arlene Desing.

(I am sending 2 students to school every day. If the minimum fare goes up to P14 from P12, that will be heavy for us. The adjustment there should be on the gasoline.)

But LTFRB Technical Division Director Joel Bolano explained that despite the 2019 memo, certain processes should be followed.

“May provision din kasi doon na meron pa ring gagawin si (LTFRB) board na pag-aaral before they use the formula. Kaya kahit gamitin ang formula na yan, meron pa ring kinukuhang input or deliberation during the hearing from, like for example, NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority),” said Bolano.

(There is a provision that says the LTFRB board should conduct a study before using the formula. We still need to get input or deliberation during the hearing from the NEDA, for example.)

He added that for LTFRB to begin the process of hearing a fare hike request, an actual petition and not just a letter should be submitted by concerned groups.

“Sa rules and procedures kasi ng LTFRB, it should be a verified petition to be filed by the petitioner or transport group. Yung letter, hindi siya enough for that kasi yung petition sa board en banc dine-deliberate. The letter is addressed to the chairman,” he said.

(The letter is not enough because the board en banc would deliberate on a petition.)

Meanwhile, Marquez also called on members of Congress to revisit the Oil Deregulation Law which removed the government's power to regulate fuel prices.

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