Office of Transportation Cooperatives (OTC) Chairperson Jesus Ortega on Monday, Jan. 15, compared drivers of modern jeepneys to employees in big cities like Makati or Cubao because the jeepney modernization program will lead to a salary-based compensation with overtime pay and social and health benefits.

A male passenger pays for his jeepney fare in Metro Manila. (MANILA BULLETIN file photo)

“Unang una, once naging full na po iyong kooperatiba, salary-based na po ‘yung mga drivers natin. Mayroong overtime ‘yun pag lumagpas ng eight hours (First of all, once it becomes a full-pledged cooperative, the drivers will be salary-based. There is overtime when they work for over eight hours),” the official said during a Palace press briefing.

“Tapos sila ay magmemember ng (And they will become members of) SSS (Social Security System), Pag-ibig at saka (and) PhilHealth. So, ang mga drivers po ngayon ay parang empleyado sa Makati or sa Cubao (So, the drivers now are like employees in Makati or Cubao),” he added.

The official, however, admitted that the daily income “as compared to before could be almost the same” but the benefits would improve.

Still, for Ortega, this would also result to “proper dispatching or fleet management” because there would be a total of three scheduled shifts for drivers, allowing for modern jeeps to ply roads even at midnight.

“So, what does it mean? Reliable po ang sasakyan natin ngayon sa murang halaga (our commute would be cheaper) as compared to taxis wherein you could see these vehicles 24 hours,” he said, lamenting that many business process outsourcing (BPO) employees who go home at midnight are forced to take taxis because there are no other available public transportation.

Under the setup of traditional jeepneys, commuters are at the mercy of drivers and operators since some drivers avoid rush hour because of traffic and prefer only to work until before midnight, Ortega added.

He also said that as members of cooperatives, drivers can receive “dividends” and would have the power similar to that of an operator.

“Pare-pareho na sila (They are the same)—one voice, one vote—pwede na po siya maging chairman ng isang kooperatiba (he can be chairman of a cooperative),” he stressed. “So, malaki ang difference ng isang driver (there is a huge difference for the driver) before as compared to now.”

A transport cooperative can also grow into multi-purpose cooperative, which shows more “opportunities” for the drivers, Ortega added.

The official explained the benefits of the country’s transition to modernized jeepneys amid a scheduled strike by transport group Manibela on Jan. 16, a month after the group and Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON) staged a protest in December 2023.

Transport groups and drivers have been staging massive protests against the government’s jeepney modernization program, which has given them until Dec. 31, 2023 for franchise consolidation into cooperatives and corporations.

The program is pushing operators and drivers to buy electric jeepneys worth more than P2 million each, though a local manufacturer said it can provide e-jeeps for less than P1 million per unit.

But the OTC official maintained that the program will benefit both commuters and drivers.

“Unang una, ang laki po ng diperensya kapag ikaw ay sumakay sa isang modern vehicle. Meaning, iyong standards po’y naiangat. Mas safe po iyon (Firstly, there is a lot of difference when you ride a modern vehicle. Meaning, the standards improved. It is safer),” he said.

Ortega explained that the entrance and exit of modern jeeps are placed on the side and not at the back, which better prevents commuter accidents.

Modern jeeps are also more convenient because they are air-conditioned and their height will allow commuters to stand straight as oppose to crouching down in traditional jeeps.

He also lauded the use of Euro 4 engines, a standard in environment-friendly vehicles, in modern jeeps.