NORDIS WEEKLY
January 22, 2006

 

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OPH hurts urban poor, transport groups

BAGUIO CITY (Jan. 18) Oil consumers especially car owners, jeepney and bus owners were surprised with the recent increase in oil prices of Petron, Shell, Caltex and other gasoline stations this January 15 at around 10 pm.

Metro-Baguio Chairman of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahang Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) Carlito Wayas said that the oil price hike was already expected this year. He also added that the oil price increase was a strategy rooted from the imperialists and capitalists to gain more profits.

“Wala pang balak humingi ang Piston na itaas ang pamasahe dahil binabalanse muna namin ang panig ng mga drayber at pasahero hinggil sa posibleng pagtaas nito,” (Piston does not intend to raise the fare yet because it wants to rationalize the plight of drivers with that of passengers) Wayas said.

Furthermore, Spokesperson Ignacio Pangket of Organisayon Dagiti Nakurapay nga Umili sa Syudad (Ornus) stated that whenever the oil price increased, prices of commodities also increases and this will affect mostly the poor.

Pro-consumers Spokesperson Chie Galvez who also said that increase of oil prices couldn’t be avoided due to oil deregulation law conceded Pangket’s statement.

One agitated taxi driver reveals, “Wala man lang pasabi sa aming mga drivers na magtataas ng presyo ang mga gasoline stations. Maliit na nga lang ang kita namin sa pagpapasada, lalo pa kaming maghihirap ngayong mataas na naman ang presyo ng gasolina,” (Gasoline stations did not even warn us of the increases. We are earning so little, yet we will further be impoverished with the new oil price hikes).

“Nagrollback nga noong December, hindi naman namin na-enjoy kasi wala pang isang buwan tumaas uli yung presyo. Parang ibinalik lang uli yung 50 cents na ibinaba last year,” (While there was a price rollback in December, we did not benefit from it because after barely a month, prices went up again taking back the rolled back prices) a jeepney driver added.

However, Shift-in-charge of Petron gasoline station Mike Arguelles said that there was a price rollback of gasoline prices last December but the increased of 50 cents per liter has resumed early this month in all oil products and also in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Agruelles also added that the oil price hike was due to the increased price per barrel of imported oil in the world market.

“Ngayong tumaas na naman ang presyo ng gasolina, tiyak magtataasan na naman ang presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin sa palengke,” (Now that the oil prices have gone up again, prices of all prime commodities will surely go up) a consumer said.

Meanwhile, Orenio Canuto, ticket teller of Dangwa Bus Station said that they will not raise their fare because they had already increased the regular fare particularly on ordinary buses last December 5, 2005.

“Kung magtataas uli kami ng pamasahe, baka maraming magrereklamo na mga pasahero. Maaring hindi na sila sasakay sa amin lalo na ang bibiyaheng Baguio-Tuguegarao,” (If we raise bus fares again, many passengers may complain. They may not take our bus, especially the Baguio-Tuguegarao trips) Canuto explained.

On the other hand, passengers especially students, said that it is right for drivers not to raise jeepney fares because last year already emerged with two fare increases.# Angely Lubo and Rhea Urbano/ UP Interns for NORDIS

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