By Terence L. Ranis
Transport groups operating in the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman on Wednesday, April 13 have expressed their backing of Dr. Willie Ong's vice presidential bid in the May 2022 elections.
Hundreds of jeepney drivers from UP Ikot, Toki, Pantranco, Philcoa, Katipunan, and SM North routes assembled at the UP Hotel in Quezon City to express their support for Ong.
“Si Doc Willie Ong ang tanging Vice Presidential candidate na lumapit sa amin. Meron siyang malinaw na plano upang mapaghandaan natin ang susunod na pandemya at para mapangalagaan hindi lamang ang aming kalusugan pero pati na rin ang aming kabuhayan (Doc Willie Ong is the only Vice Presidential candidate who approached us. He has a clear plan on how to prepare in the next surge of the pandemic and how we could take care of our health and our livelihood)," UP Transport Group (UPTG) president Ferdie Damasco said.
“Halimbawa po niyan ay ‘yung pagtatatag ng panibagong infectious disease hospital at pagsasagawa ng libreng mass testing (One example is the establishing of new infectious disease hospital and conducting free mass testing)," he added.
The groups also said that they support Ong’s plan to address fhe mental health crisis in the Philippines amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moreover, UPTG spokesman Nolan Grulla said that Ong’s plan to help ease the burden of jeepney drivers by stopping the jeepney phaseout program was crucial in securing their endorsement.
“Higit po sa lahat, kaisa po namin si Doc Willie Ong sa pagpapaunlad ng sektor ng transportasyon kung saan hindi na namin kakailanganin magbayad ng malaki para makapasada. Malinaw po kay doc na pahirap po sa aming mga drayber at maging sa mga pasahero ang niraratsada nilang jeepney phaseout (Above all, we are one with Doc Willie Ong on improving our sector so that we will no longer need to pay big amount of money for transportation. It is clear to him that jeepney phaseout is a burden both for public drivers and passengers)," Grulla said.
The Aksyon Demokratiko vice presidential candidate thanked the transport groups for their endorsement and promised to help the transport sector inside and outside UP even after the May 2022 elections.