JEEPNEY PHASEOUT MANUSCRIPT - “JEEPNEY–THE UNDISPUTED KING OF THE ROAD”

A pleasant morning fellow citizens and visitors. It is an honor to stand here with great enthusiasm and a
clear objective. Let me start by thanking everyone who is here with us this afternoon. And secondly, I
want to share that I rode the jeepney today. Well as a Filipino, it is nothing significant to hear, right? Just
the usual sight to see, someone or almost everyone riding a jeepney as their mode of transportation, but
what if I tell you the one we named “The Icon and Undisputed King of the Road” is critically going off to
its service.

Riding a jeepney has followed the wide culture of the Philippines ever since. 1940s? 1950s . We see
one that is full of colors, an art, full of life, filled with stories. Dominating the road with approximately
200,000 jeepney drivers accommodating 40% in 80% public commuters. I am sure that someone here
today has already ridden a jeepney a hundred times in their life and maybe in a different type of it too.
We encountered different people, interacted, and shared our journey with them. Surely, that was a
remarkable time for us, but what does it take for the one who drives it? Making the ends meet through
day and night, do you ever wonder what goes within that?

Today, blaring news of jeepney strikes is rising. Jeepney drivers and several organizations took off their
precious days of hustling on the road to take action against the government’s plan to modernize public
utility vehicles throughout the Philippines. These strikes paralyzed the routes affected. For most of the
commuters, this is too burden. Commuting in a third-world country with no established transportation
system is already a huge hassle, what more if the main transport goes on pause for 3 days to fight the
looming deadline of modernization given to December 31. Now to everyone here, I need you to wonder,
to be curious, and to have an open mind. What is the point of the strikes? When the government laid it
out for a good purpose. Perhaps, this does not only revolve around the economic problem. Under the
government's plan for modernization to minimize pollutant emissions with eco-friendly jeeps, this
program will run over and exterminate the livelihood of most Filipino families with the work that fills up
their tables. In the name of being environmentally friendly, these condemn the financial state of our
drivers, potentially drowning them in debt by forcefully replacing their aged vehicles with expensive
modernized ones.

80 years in service, the jeepney continues its legacy, however, the cyclical situation of pushing through
the modernization of jeepneys since the program was approved in 2017, creates strong resistance
despite continued pleas to extend the postponement of the program of the jeepney drivers from the
former’s government’s term to present Marcos’ administration. Here, I want to inform you, that what may
seem to be an inconvenience for us commuters, is the battle for the drivers and their families’ hungry
stomachs. It may seem that we are losing some days without transport, but drivers are losing everything
as we speak. In the name of environment-friendly modern jeeps, it would take forever for the drivers to
have the capital they would need to own a franchise for 2.8 million pesos. Our jeepney drivers will take
the disadvantage of earning less than minimum wage with a debt burying them as the foreign
corporations of modern jeeps take advantage. No ordinary Filipinos can afford to have a huge amount
with less earnings, not only for the drivers but also the jeepney phaseout would drawback to us
commuters with higher fares. Forasmuch the government roots to this anti-poor program, where they
would rather benefit foreign multinationals than support the local manufacturers to upgrade the aged
jeepneys as the administration will only give a small amount of subsidy if the program proceeds – taking
the small step to erase the entirety of the icon, jeepney.

Jeepneys serve as a symbol of the Filipino spirit, embodying the values of community, resourcefulness,
and unity. Jeepneys hold a special place in the hearts of Filipinos, representing their resilience and
ingenuity. Furthermore, let us not forget the historical and cultural significance embedded in every
jeepney. They are more than simply means of transportation; they are canvases and vibrant reflections
of our communities. As we gather here today, I want you to pause and reflect on the impact and
connection of jeepney drivers and commuters. Remember that there once a jeepney that took you to
your first day of school, to a family gathering, to a friend meetup, or maybe to the destination that
changed your life, a jeepney that took you where you are today, the jeepneys are in journey with us,
indefinitely, we commuters, fellow ordinary Filipinos to use our voice that can bring change and for us
now to take them into their winning journey.