Transport cooperatives in Mindanao on Sunday assured the public of undisrupted services amid the planned nationwide strike coinciding with the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. During Sunday’s media briefing, Melvin Erederos, interim president of the Consortium of Mindanao Transport Cooperatives (Comtramsco), said they are not joining the strike since they are not affiliated with any transport organizations in Manila that plotted the three-day protest. “We are a group of modern PUVs (public utility vehicles) and we are not obliged to follow their call,” he said. Comtramsco is an organization of 20 transport cooperatives from five regions in Mindanao. It was organized on July 19 only in Quezon, Bukidnon. Erederos is hoping that transport cooperatives will be prioritized in the PUV Modernization Program since they were the ones who complied with the requirements. The group also called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) not to extend the deadline for the consolidation of traditional to modern jeepneys. LTFRB has originally set the deadline on June 20, 2023. Marcos, however, extended the deadline for the PUVs to consolidate their traditional jeepneys until Dec. 31 or they lose their franchise.
Source: Philippines News Agency