Fuel crisis worse than pandemic, jeepney drivers say

Some jeepney drivers say their current situation amid soaring fuel prices is worse than what they experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Mark Salazar’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, jeepney driver EJ Erfe said each morning brings uncertainty over whether to continue working, as rising diesel prices continue to eat into their earnings.

“Every time we head out in the morning, our minds are in a whirl because we don’t know if we should even push through. Diesel prices are so high that our entire day’s earnings might just go toward fuel," he said.

"But if we don’t go out, we might not have anything to buy food with tomorrow or the day after, so we just have to keep fighting,” EJ added.

To make ends meet, EJ has taken on a side hustle, selling instant coffee and cup noodles at their terminal in Las Piñas City.

“Because driving has become quite difficult, I decided to take on a sideline to supplement our income. The P250 to P300 I earn from selling goods adds to my earnings from the jeepney, and we make sure to budget every bit of that,” he said.

Meanwhile, another jeepney driver, Allan, went viral online after his vehicle stalled along the Alabang-Zapote route after running out of fuel. He said he could only afford to buy diesel in small amounts.

A passenger captured a video of Allan rushing, visibly breathless, to find fuel while appearing embarrassed over the inconvenience caused.

“I felt so ashamed in front of the passengers because some of them had already gotten off; they likely grew impatient since I was gone for quite a while," he said.

"I had to keep looking for a gas station that would allow me to buy fuel, because some refuse to sell in gallons,” Allan added.

Allan, EJ, and other drivers along their route reportedly take home only around P250 to P300 for 12 to 14 hours of driving.

“To be honest, what we earn now is barely enough for food—unlike before when we could still set aside some savings. Now, we can’t do that anymore because of the high cost of diesel,” EJ said.

A jeepney terminal dispatcher in Alabang also expressed frustration over being excluded from government subsidies, saying their struggles appear to be overlooked.

“We are in a pitiful state. We also have families to support. For example, I have three grandkids in school and two children in college—how will we survive day to day if the jeepneys stop running?” said dispatcher James.

Along the Lagro–Anonas route in Quezon City, jeepney driver Jose Jugaban became emotional as he said this was the first time in three decades of driving that he felt helpless.

“It’s really hard. We’re helpless. This is our only livelihood. This is even worse than the pandemic. There’s nothing left now. We aren’t earning anything anymore,” he said.

He added that some drivers are considering giving up their vehicles due to unsustainable earnings.

“I’ll just return the jeep to the operator, surrender it. It’s no longer sustainable—everything just goes to diesel. It’s hard to keep forcing yourself to drive every day. Nothing ever comes of it,” he said.

Still, others say they have no choice but to continue working.

“I have two children, so I can’t just give up. You can’t have the mindset that just because driving gets tough, you’re going to quit,” EJ said.—Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG, GMA News