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It is unconventional wisdom but governments, past and present, actually owe generations of jeepney drivers and operators a lot. The fact is, these family-run micro-enterprises have been the backbone of public transportation nationwide. Without them, there’s no mobility across the archipelago, especially for the overwhelming majority who commute. There’s no record of massive state investment or assistance at any period of our history that have gone directly to jeepney drivers and operators, whether in terms of capital or operating funds. These family-run micro-enterprises took it upon themselves to purchase the jeepneys. They didn’t ask the state for operating funds. But neither did the government offer them any assistance. If not for the entrepreneurship and hard work of generations of jeepney drivers and operators, we do not know how generations of students and workers would have managed to go to school or work, or to find work, or to transport goods. Up until today, these jeepneys link cities to towns, several towns, plains to mountains, the coasts to the inner towns. Jeepney drivers and operators have done so without any commensurate assistance or subsidy from the state, even for the maintenance of the 300,000 jeepneys that help keep the economy moving. Enter the “modernization” plan of government. (All figures here are from a 2022 paper by Teodoro C. Mendoza for the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP-CIDS) which in turn refers to a lot of official data from government sources. It is a treasure trove of information and insights.) The new, modern jeepneys cost between ₱1.8 million to ₱2.6 million per unit in 2020. The UP CIDS study should make anyone pause: “There are three prices that may be considered in calculating the total financing (credit) costs: ₱1.8 million, ₱2 million, and ₱2.5 million. To finance the replacement of 70,000 traditional jeepneys in Metro Manila alone, it will require ₱126 billion to ₱175 billion worth of financing. To replace 300,000 traditional jeepneys nationwide, financing will amount from ₱540 billion to ₱750 billion.” The modern jeepneys would have to be paid within seven years, although there has been no test whether they would last in good operating condition for seven years or even 10 years. How much loanable funds have banks made available for jeepney modernization? State-run DBP and LBP have come out with ₱2.7 billion (good for 1,000 units). This is a mere one-third of one percent of the ₱750 billion needed. The government’s contribution? A subsidy of ₱80,000 to ₱160,000 per unit. This is a mind-boggling problem for jeepney drivers and operators. If the banks don’t have money for them to loan, how in the world do some expect the informal sector to possess such a huge amount? We do not know. Can the Philippines instantly switch to locally-made modern jeepneys at the signal of the Department of Transportation? Not exactly. UP CIDS points out that the local vehicle manufacturers can only manufacture around 1,000 modern jeeps per year. At this rate, and without any program for national industrialization, it would take industry 300 years to produce the 300,000 modern jeeps we need. As far as importation goes, this would be bound to be expensive as well, and who would shoulder the costs. The recent transport strike led by Piston and Manibela earned widespread public support and even the understanding of many local and national officials. This is a good opportunity for us to join the transport workers in pressing the administration to review its plan, and to explore other ways to attain the objectives in a pro-people, pro-commuter, and pro-environment manner. Considering both the big price tag and big economic role of jeepneys in public transportation, is it possible to veer away from the neoliberal economic policy of letting jeepney drivers and operators fend for themselves in this “modernization” project and make the state play a key role in financing this? If modernization of public transportation is that important, shouldn’t the government put in commensurate investment in it? And if we want this done fast, how do we develop the local vehicle manufacturing industry to be able to make 300,000 units swiftly. A government with annual budgets going into trillions could appropriate ₱750 billion or more across five to 10 years for this. A smart government and people would see opportunities in any problem. This could be our chance at reorienting state spending towards public transportation and at propelling industrialization that will create durable jobs.