MANIBELA to hold transport strike from August 10 to 12, 2026 to call for fare hike

Transport group MANIBELA will push through with its three-day transport strike from August 10 to 12 unless the government grants its request for a provisional fare increase, the group's chairperson Mar Valbuena said Tuesday.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Valbuena said the strike could still be canceled if authorities approve an interim fare adjustment or lift the suspension on a previously approved P1 fare increase.

"Tuloy po ito. Depende po ito kung lalabas po 'yung provisional fare increase na sinasabi natin," Valbuena said.

(The transport strike will continue. It would depends on whether the provisional fare increase we are talking about will be granted.)

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier said it would recommend to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) an interim fare hike and fuel discounts for public utility vehicle drivers and operators following a hearing on transport groups' petitions.

Valbuena said MANIBELA is seeking a provisional P2 fare increase while its petition is still under deliberation, saying jeepney drivers and operators continue to bear the burden of high fuel prices.

He said the additional P2 fare could translate to around P200 in extra daily earnings for drivers who make long trips, although he stressed that it would still not be enough to fully offset their operating expenses.

Valbuena dismissed concerns that a fare increase would significantly fuel inflation, arguing that soaring petroleum prices are the primary cause of rising consumer prices.

He criticized the latest oil price rollback effective Tuesday, August 4, describing it as inadequate given global oil price movements.

In an advisory issued Monday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said gasoline prices will be reduced by P0.73 per liter for all grades—RON 91 (regular unleaded), RON 95 (premium unleaded), and RON 97 (high octane unleaded)—for the week of August 4 to 10. Diesel prices, including Diesel Plus, will likewise go down by P0.60 per liter, while kerosene prices will be cut by P2.09 per liter, the DOE said. Meanwhile, LPG prices will increase by a maximum of P3.67 per kilogram, equivalent to P40.38 for an 11-kilogram cylinder, for August, according to the DOE.

The transport leader also questioned the absence of representatives from the DOE, Department of Finance (DOF), and Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) during the LTFRB hearing.

For him, the agencies should explain fuel pricing, excise taxes, and the government's response to the sector's concerns.

The LTFRB however on Monday said it will invite representatives from various concerned agencies in the next hearing on the fare hike petitions filed by several transport groups.

LTFRB chairperson Vigor Mendoza II said that representatives from the DEPDev, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the DOE will be invited soon.

Valbuena appealed to commuters for understanding, saying the planned strike is a last resort as many jeepney drivers have already stopped operating because of rising fuel costs. —KG, GMA News