The Commuters’ Manifesto
We, the undersigned, are commuters from different sectors and we have had enough of our country’s hellish transportation system. We have endured decades of troublesome railways, heavy traffic, and the absence of an efficient and affordable public mass transportation.
The “commute challenge” directed to government officials is, more than anything else, an expression of the people’s strong desire to put an end to our country’s transportation crisis.
The challenge, thereby, is not a question of whether these government officials will be able to endure the putrid transport system or not, but a question of their willingness to heed our legitimate demands. It is in this light that we reiterate our calls to urge our country’s leaders to act now:
1. We deserve an efficient and affordable mass transportation system that is free from corporate control
- The commuters deserve no less than a mass transport system with the people’s interest at its core. The government must prioritize the people’s interest over private profit.
2. We should hold the Department of Transportation, Light Rail Transit Authority, and other government agencies involved in this transportation crisis accountable
- Despite the agencies’ ballooning budget allocation and aid from transport agencies and other concerned institutions, the criminal negligence and failing service of the DOTr and other involved agencies should lead to a legislative investigation.
3. We oppose the government’s policy of corporatization and privatization of the transportation sector
- Such is the case of the corporate capture in the government’s ongoing move towards PUV modernization, which is aimed at extracting profit from PUV drivers and small-time operators by forcing them to pay for expensive units with minimal government subsidy. Also worth mentioning is the case of the MRT and LRT wherein private corporations take hold on public services but only resulted in rising fares and deteriorating services.
4. We call for the re-channeling of the national budget’s military spending and Congressional pork to public services
The budget for suppression and corruption have doubled, if not tripled, for the 2020 national budget. Glaring, among others, is the P100-million per lawmaker allocation and the Office of the President’s P8.7-billion budget. Military and police budgets have also been bloated for 2020. These are all amid the worsening conditions of public services, including the transportation sector.
