MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday (Mar 18) put the brakes on a public transportation fare hike announced just a day earlier, promising the country’s commuters free rides instead.
The archipelago nation, which imports nearly all of its crude oil from the Middle East, has been scrambling to deal with eye-watering price increases triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Since hostilities erupted, the Philippines has instituted a four-day workweek for civil servants, distributed cash handouts to tricycle drivers, and seen its sole refinery open discussions to buy Russian oil.
On Tuesday, the country’s transportation regulator announced fare hikes across an array of public transport, with rides in jeepneys, used by millions of Filipinos every day, set to jump about eight per cent.
“In my opinion … now is probably not the time to raise fares for the people,” Marcos said Wednesday in walking back the increase, citing the ongoing Middle East war.
Instead, Marcos said he had ordered the country’s transportation department “to launch free rides all over the Philippines” along with discounts on light rail systems and toll roads.
Marcos did not specify which forms of public transport would be made free.
In a statement that followed shortly, the transportation department said it would suspend the fare hikes in line with the president’s request while “preparing” programmes, including free rides.
Mody Floranda, president of a local jeepney drivers’ union, told AFP that his group was unhappy with the decision.
“We are dismayed that the president of our country had ruthlessly recalled what his government has granted to us,” he said.
