MANILA — A transport strike opposing the implementation of the jeepney modernization program caused "minimal" disruption on traffic and commuters on Monday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said.

Only around 25 jeeps joined a Quezon City motorcade that signaled the start of transport group Manibela's strike, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said.

"So far naman po, very minimal yung epekto sa traffic at ganoon din po sa ating mga commuters," Artes told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

"Mangilan-ngilan lamang ang nakita nating nagkaroon ng buildup ng pasahero. Ang tingin nga po namin, ito yung usual na morning traffic lamang ng mga kababayan nating papasok sa kanilang trabaho. Kakaunti lang din po ang sumama sa tigil-pasada," he said.

Some local governments and schools suspended in-person classes on Monday in anticipation of the transport strike.

• LIST: In-person classes in some LGUs, schools suspended due to transport strike

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Manibela earlier said around 1,000 vehicles would convene at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office along East Avenue, both in Quezon City.

They planned to head to Mendiola, Manila to call on President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to suspend the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.

The modernization program will supposedly lead to the phaseout of hundreds of thousands of traditional jeepneys nationwide, Manibela argued.

Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said that by their count, there are 300,000 traditional jeepneys nationwide while only 7,000 are modernized.

The government, he said, only provided for subsidies to modernize 1,000 jeepneys a year.

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Valbuena declined to give an estimate on how many drivers joined the strike.

"Marami po talaga ang hindi lumabas sa ating mga kasamahan. Nagkataon lang siyempre para hindi maramdaman ito ng taong bayan, sinuspinde ang pasok," he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

"Mahirap kasi na dina-downplay kami, ta’s sasabihin ko ganito kami karami… Iyun na lamang pong pag-cancel ng klase at ng paglibreng sakay, epekto na po yun ng tigil-pasada," he said.

The Department of Transportation has set the consolidation deadline for the jeepney modernization project on December 31, 2023. The deadline has been moved several times from December 2021 to June 2022, March 2023, and June 2023.

Manibela’s first transport strike was halted in March when Malacañang met with Valbuena and promised to consult the transport group in the PUV modernization project provisions. Valbuena said the promised meetings did not materialize.

“Ang hinihingi ko lamang po ay simple lang ma-suspend ang implementation ng [jeepney modernization]. Hindi ko naman po sinasabing tutol kami, never kong sinabi na ibasura yan. Pag-aralan sana 'yan nang kasama kami,” Valbuena said.

FREE RIDES, NUMBER CODING

To assist commuters, several agencies and local governments offered free rides, which the MMDA deployed "only as needed."

"Dini-dispatch natin according to need para hindi makaagaw sa mga hindi sumama sa tigil-pasada kasi sila’y mawawalan ng kita," Artes said.

"Kami naman po ay nakahanda buong araw kung saan magkakaroon ng buildup mamayang hapon… Wala naman pong magiging problema kung ang plano nila (transport groups) ay ihatid muna [ang mga pasahero], then istranded pag-uwi," he continued.

The MMDA will not suspend the number coding scheme due to Manibela's protest.

"Sa amin pong konsultasyon sa mga transport group, ‘pag nagsuspende po tayo ng number coding, sumisikip po yung daloy ng traffic at mas bumabagal po ang turnaround time ng mga pampublikong transportasyon," Artes said.

Drivers who joined the transport strike could face suspension or cancellation of their franchise, LTFRB technical working group head Joel Bolano said.

"Meron silang obligasyon sa kanilang prangkisa na magbigay ng serbisyo sa mga pasahero. Puwede po silang magbigay ng kanilang mga pahayag, pero ‘wag po nilang tanggalin yung kanilang mga sasakyan sa kalsada," he said in a separate TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

— With a report from Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News