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Filipino jeepney drivers demand action as fuel crisis halts public transport
With diesel prices nearing triple their pump prices since the US-Israel-Iran war started on February 28, drivers are finding it impossible to earn even after working for 18 hours
- PUBLISHED: Thu 26 Mar 2026, 3:25 PM
[Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
Philippine public transport drivers launched another nationwide strike on Thursday due to galloping fuel prices, rendering parts of Metro Manila and other major cities paralysed.
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As the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government mulls additional energy-saving measures such as expanding its four-day workweek scheme, transport workers again suspended operations for the second straight week.
Groups such as Piston, Manibela, Alliance of Concerned Transport Organisations, and local bus cooperatives refused to ply their routes since early morning (March 26) and instead gathered in “strike centres” to condemn the government for its “tepid response” to the country’s fuel crisis.
Piston president Mody Floranda said they decided on another two-day strike in defense of their livelihood.
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With diesel prices nearing triple their pump prices since the US-Israel-Iran war started on February 28, jeepney drivers are finding it impossible to earn even after working for 18 hours.
“We also blame President Marcos for his refusal to cut taxes on oil products that could have mitigated the impacts of the oil crisis,” Floranda underscored.
With more transport organisations participating in today’s strike, many parts of the capital Metro Manila experienced light to empty traffic in what used to be gridlocked thoroughfares.
Paralysis of public transportation as of noontime ranged from 40 per cent in Pasig City to 100 per cent in parts of Southern Tagalog Region.
The streets of Southern Luzon region of Bicol were also empty of jeepneys and buses as of mid-morning.
Piston also reported 100 per cent paralysis of public transportation in major Visayan cities Bacolod, Kalibo and Iloilo.
The southern island of Mindanao also registered 100 per cent paralysis in General Santos City.
The drivers demanded that Marcos impose price caps on fuel prices inasmuch as most oil companies are unwilling to shoulder part of the burden brought by the energy crisis.
“We can not have more of palliative measures from Marcos, more so that the war in the Middle East is not showing signs of ending soon,” Floranda said.
The Philippines is the first country in the world to declare a 'State of National Energy Emergency' as petroleum supplies are dwindling while pump prices had been on a drastic rise for the fourth straight week.