Philippine transport strike successful

Filipinos protest high prices of fuel.

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 119, 2011) – Transport groups on Monday said it had shut down major roads as public utility drivers held a nationwide strike to protest high prices of fuel in the Philippines.
“With the broad support from both the public and the private sectors, the transport strike, effectively underscored the people’s demand to put an end to the overpricing in oil products, and to scrap R.A. 8479 or the Oil Deregulation Law,” the militant group Bayan said.

It called for the scrapping of the 12% tax on oil products, saying oil firms passed this to the public.

Various schools in Davao city also cancelled their classes and many establishments were also closed.

Bayan said the transport strike was also successful in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Butuan, Digos, Valencia, General Santos, Malaybalay and Surigao.

“Nationwide, half a million jeepney drivers suffer from a P 270 daily income lost due to the P9.00 overpricing of oil. Almost 600,000 tricycle drivers lose P45 a day while fishermen who use motorized boats lose P90 per fishing. And 8.6 million people who use liquefied cooking gas pay an overcharge amount of P 147.58 per (11-kilo) cylinder,” it said.