Philippines Transport Groups Hold Nationwide Strike Pressuring Marcos Govt To Lower Fuel Prices

2026-04-15 03:00:40

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) [Editor's Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog for the latest regional developments with the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect.]

Various transport groups in the Philippines launched another nationwide strike on Wednesday to protest what they deem as failure President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. failure to curb runaway fuel prices as the Middle East war lingers.

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Drivers' group Piston launched a three-day strike in protest of the government's refusal to suspend excise and value added taxes on diesel and petrol, two of the most used fuels in the Philippines.

The organisation also denounced the US-Israel war against Iran, including President Donald Trump's declaration of another blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Ronald Mendoza said he is among the 20 per cent of jeepney drivers in the country who have gone to voluntary suspension of operation even before the strike.

He said his income had dived to nothing since diesel had breached P140 per litre even as he extended driving operations by two hours daily.

Metro Manila bus operators also reduced their active fleet by 20 per cent despite the government contracting schemes to put public transport vehicles on the road.

Commuters like student Edna Simbay fear that her commute to and from school would prove even harder, compelling several universities to allow online classes on what remains of the current semester.

Students and faculty of the main campus of the University of the Philippines staged a walk-out on Wednesday denouncing the“Zionist US-Israel” war in the Middle East.

Urban poor group Kadamay joined various drivers' strike centers on Wednesday, calling on the Marcos government to suspend oil taxes to curb inflation in prices commodities and services.

Political party Bayan Muna also joined rallies and called on oil companies to abide by the unbundling of prices to determine their profit rates.

Marcos Jr. suspended excise taxes on cooking gas and kerosene on Monday, refusing however to extend his declaration to diesel and petrol. He said his government needs the revenue to fund fuel subsidy and cash aid schemes to transport workers.

Activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemned Marcos' refusal, saying the president is only focused on“band-aid, piece-meal measures” that are“grossly inadequate given the magnitude of the crisis.”

“We must continue to hold the Marcos Jr. regime to account for its extremely slow and insufficient response 45 days into the crisis,” the group said.