Public transportation in Cebu and Iloilo may be affected as public utility drivers take part in a transport holiday and strike on Monday, March 23, 2026, held amid the skyrocketing prices of fuel. 

The decision of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to suspend the implementation of the fare increase on March 18 did not sit well with drivers.

The fare increases - P1 in traditional PUJs and P2 in modernized PUJs - were supposed to take effect on March 19.

In Cebu, up to 100 modernized public utility jeepneys under the National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU) will participate in the strike.

These modernized PUJs ply the streets of Metro Cebu, including the town of Consolacion and the city of Danao in the north.

Drivers and operators will gather at the 9 a.m. at the office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Cebu City and will march toward the office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) where they will hold a picket.

“Kay ang gibuhat sa gobyerno, puros ra mga band-aid solution nga para sulbad sa kaning pagtaas sa prices, pero para namo sa transport ug sa Sentro, di na sya tinuod nga makasulbad sa atoang problema labi na sa atoang pagtaas sa presyo. Aduna tay panawagan nga i-suspenso sa labi na sa mga dagkong taxes,” said Jaijai Ampoon, spokesperson of the Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa.

Ampoon said up to 400 drivers of ride hailing apps, as well as delivery riders, will also take part in the strike.

In Iloilo City, up to 1,700 units of public utility jeepneys will participate in the strike.

Of this number, at least 500 are modernized jeepneys.

According to the Western Alliance of Transport Cooperatives and Corporations, Inc. (WVATCCI), joining the strike will be their way to call on government to push through with the planned fare increase.

According to PUJ drivers, they bring almost nothing to their families at the end of the day because what they earn gets eaten up by fuel cost, which has increased sharply in recent weeks due to the tension in the Middle East.

The local government in Iloilo City said it will deploy buses for free for commuters. It also suspended face to face classes in all levels.

The drivers and operators are seeking the public's understanding.

(Reports from GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak and GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas)