The uneven road of the sole P Campa-bound jeepney

by: Rose Eunice Gacutan

During the morning rush hour, as students and employees crammed into jeepneys bound for Quiapo, 54-year-old Ramon Baculi attempts to solicit commuters for his P. Campa-bound jeepney.

Although he is the only one who ply the Blumentritt – Delos Reyes/P. Campa via Dimasalang route, the seats on his jeepney are nearly vacant as only few people take him up on his offer.

“Mas pinipilahan ng mga tao yung pa-Quiapo kasi mas mabilis maka-alis yung mga yo’n, syempre papasok sila, nagmamadali sila. Ako naman hinihintay ko pa na medyo mapuno iyong jeep para may kita kahit papano,” Baculi said in an interview with Six Stars Capitol.

He had hoped that operating as the sole jeepney on that route would increase his earnings and make it easier to pick up passengers, but instead he has found that settling into the new normal is more difficult than it had been before the pandemic.

“Masaya ako nung unang nalaman ko na pwede na ulit mamasada kasi babalik na yung kita ko,” Baculi said.

However, it turns out that his hopes are far from reality.

“Akala ko back to normal na lahat ‘pag pwede ka na mamasada. Hindi eh, mahirap pa rin pala. May bakas pa rin ng pandemic tsaka nagbago na yung pagco-commute ng mga tao. Hindi ko alam paano ulit mapush na ganahan sila na sumakay sa akin,” Baculi said.

March 2020 saw the suspension of public transportation and mandatory quarantine orders as part of the then Duterte’s administration’s efforts to stem the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus.

The jeepneys that used to be a common sight on the streets of Manila were parked in garages, and their drivers, like Baculi, were out of work with no idea when they would be allowed to go back on the road.

But three months since the quarantines were imposed, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) allowed more than 4,800 traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) to ply the additional routes opened to ferry more commuters amid public transport's reduced capacity.

Under Memorandum Circular 2020-058 issued by the LTFRB in June 2020, a total of 4,820 traditional jeepneys are permitted to operate on 44 Metro Manila routes, including Baculi's.

'Napalitan na kami'

Baculi laments that the Quiapo-bound jeepneys have driven away the other jeepneys that formerly traveled the same route as him.

“Nung hindi pa lockdown, dito kaming pa-Morayta [na jeepneys] nakapwesto,” Baculi gestured at the space now occupied by the Quiapo-bound jeepneys. “‘Iyong mga pa-Quiapo na yan, sa ibang pwesto sila.”

He said that the Quiapo-bound jeepneys were among the first to resume operations during the quarantine season, and that they had since occupied the area formerly occupied by the jeepneys on the Blumentritt - P Campa route.

“Yung mga pa-Quiapo kasi nadadaanan naman niya ‘yong iba na dinadaanan din ng ruta ko, tsaka mas malayo pa ‘yong nararating nila, kaya marami talagang sumasakay. Pero pakiramdam ko, dahil doon, napalitan na kami,” Baculi said.

Students from University of Santo Tomas (UST), St. Jude College, Perpetual Help College of Manila, Far Eastern University (FEU), and common folks on their way to Dangwa Flower Market made up a large portion of his passengers.

The jeepneys headed towards Quiapo can drop off all those people at their respective stops.

“Hindi na masyadong sumasakay mga taga-UST ngayon dito, kahit sinasabi ko na mas malapit pag dito sila sumakay sa akin, siguro kasi matagal nawala yung jeep na pa-P. Campa kaya nasanay na sila sumakay sa iba,” Baculi added.

The driver also believed that the protracted wait before he took off driving discouraged passengers from boarding his jeepneys.

According to Baculi, several of the passengers who boarded his vehicle became irritated and impatient after waiting for a while and stepped off to transfer to other jeepneys.

“Hindi ko naman sila masisisi kasi nakikita naman nila na mga dalawa o tatlong pa-Quiapo na jeep na yung nakaalis, tapos sila sa jeep ko naghihintay pa rin. Pag may pupuntahan ka o pag hinahabol mo yung oras, gusto mo na talaga umalis yung jeep,” Baculi said.

The paucity of ridership also means that Baculi's jeepney is seldom as crowded as the others, which is why he never drives it on weekends or holidays.

“Mahirap na nga makakuha ng pasahero pag regular na araw, paano pa kaya pag walang mga pasok,” Baculi bemoans.

“Siguro ito rin ‘yong dahilan bakit hindi na pumapasada yung ibang pa-P Campa [na jeep]. Napalitan na kami, tapos weather-weather lang yung pamamasada. May ibang mga trabaho naman dyan na mas mataas at regular yung kita,” Baculi added.

The pandemic has halted public transportation for a considerable amount of time, displacing a large number of vehicles. According to a report published by Bloomberg in 2020, some routes were accessible and the jeepneys corresponding to those eventually returned to service, while others did not fully recover.

‘Maraming problema, maraming iniintindi’

Baculi struggles to make ends meet not only because of the lack of passengers, but also because of the low daily income and price hike.

“Mahirap nung lockdown, oo. Pero ngayon din naman, maraming problema, maraming iniintindi. Mas lalong nagpapahirap yung mga nangyayari ngayon sa pamamasada ko,” Baculi said.

His primary woe is his scant daily income, which ranges from PhP 400 on idle days to PhP 900 on busy ones.

“Nakakailang ikot na ako, pero ganoon pa rin ‘yong kinikita ko. Hindi naman lahat ng perang iyon maiuuwi ko kasi iintindihin ko pa ‘yong pang maintenance, ‘yong pang gasolina, lalo na ngayon na hindi mo masasabi kung ano magiging presyo no’n,” he said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) reported in their latest data on April 15 that kerosene prices increased by PhP 0.20 per liter, diesel prices increased by PhP 0.50 per liter, and gasoline prices increased by PhP 1.40 per liter.

Shifts in the international price of crude oil and the depreciation of the Philippine peso relative to other currencies are to blame for the fluctuations in oil prices, according to the DOE in their Laging Handa briefing on June 2022.

In September 2022, LTFRB chairperson Cheloy Garafil announced a price increase for both modern and traditional PUJs to PhP 12.00 and PhP 14.00, respectively, due to the rising price of oil.

“Dati nung hindi pa pandemic, okay naman na sa akin yung PhP 9.00 na pamasahe. Pero ngayon, kulang na iyon eh. Wag na sana nila babaan pa yung PhP 12.00, o kung papalitan pa nila y’on, babaan nila iyong presyo ng gasolina,” Baculi said.

Aside from the oil prices, Baculi is concerned about the LTFRB's modernization program for jeepneys and its directive requiring jeepney owners and drivers to establish cooperatives.

“Kulang na nga kinikita ko para magpalit ng mga sasakyan, may ganyan pa,” Baculi said. “Tsaka sasama pa ba ako sa mga ganyan [kooperativa], ako na lang ‘yong natitirang jeep [sa rutang ‘to].”

“Baka mawala pa sa akin itong jeep na ito,” Baculi added.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013 issued by the LTFRB on February 20, individual proprietors of traditional jeepneys will be permitted to operate until June 30, after which they will be required to join a cooperative or corporation.

The memorandum also noted, "Individual operators may continue to operate by virtue of a provisional authority (PA), which is automatically extended until 30 June 2023 under this Memorandum Circular."

Only individual operators who are a member of a "consolidated entity" before June 30 will have their PA extended until December 31, 2023.

The LTFRB describes the modernization program as having multiple stages, including the elimination of inoperable vehicles, a review of routes, franchises, and roles, and the implementation of new systems and standards for vehicles in the public interest.

‘Tuloy pa rin ang pasada’

Baculi is resolved to continue being the lone driver of the jeepney that ply the Blumentritt - P. Campa route despite the difficulties that the new normal has posed to him.

He has no idea what his future plans are at the moment or how to go forward with the PUV modernization initiative, but he will keep driving anyhow.

“Mga 20 years na ako namamasada at kahit anong mangyari, dito pa rin ako. Tuloy pa rin ang pasada, kasi parang buhay ko na rin ito,” he said.

Baculi is appreciative of the students who travel in his jeepney on a regular basis, stating that he can look forward to them even when there are only a few passengers.

“Araw-araw yung mga y’on sumasakay sa akin, kaya nakikilala ko na sila sa mukha, at nagpapasalamat ako kasi kahit matagal mapuno, pinipili pa rin nila yung jeep ko,” he said.

“Sa kanila ako ginaganahan, na alam ko na naghihintay sila,” he added.

He is content to remain the route's lone jeepney driver for the time being, but he would like to see other drivers in his route reinstated someday.

“Yung MCU - Monumento nga sa Caloocan nakabalik, pakiramdam ko naman din na babalik na yung iba,” Baculi said.

In the interim, he must continue to work hard and solicit potential passengers to load his jeepney.

As for his call to the government, Baculi has a single, straightforward request: improve the conditions for jeepney drivers and look out for their interests.

“Makinig sila sa amin, kasi kahit papaano naman alam namin kung ano yung mga kailangan namin bilang mga drivers,” he said.