BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The president of one of the active and fastest growing transport cooperatives in Northern Mindanao confirms yesterday that Mindex is not joining the nationwide transport strike during the president’s SONA on Monday.
Dante M Sudaria, president of Mindanao Daily Express (Mindex) in an interview with Bombo Radyo yesterday clarified that they are throwing their all-out support to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
“We want to hear the speech of PBBM especially his plans for the transport coop sector in the Philippines. We are not joining the transport strike on Monday during the SONA,” Sudaria clarified.
This, as the Transport Cooperatives in Mindanao has also assured the public of uninterrupted services during the SONA. The biggest transport in Metro Manila are leading the nationwide strike as they will also aired their grievances to the modernization program of the government, which was started by President Duterte a few years ago.
Mindex operates 10 routes in Cagayan de Oro, it was learned.
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The Mindex president has appealed to President Marcos to stop the six percent interest collected from the transport groups wh availed of the modernization program of th government.
He said the government is also extending loans to the agriculture sector with out collecting any interest. “We hope that PBBM would also extend the same support to the transport sector,” Sudaria pointed.
He said that the six percent interest is an added burdern to a lot of transport operators in the country. “That’s why we are appealing to the president to extend loans without any interest like the agriculture sector,” he said.
Meanwhile, during Sunday’s media briefing, Melvin Erederos, interim president of the Consortium of Mindanao Transport Cooperatives (Comtramsco), said they are not joining the strike since they are not affiliated with any transport organizations in Manila that plotted the three-day protest.
“We are a group of modern PUVs (public utility vehicles) and we are not obliged to follow their call,” he said.
Comtramsco is an organization of 20 transport cooperatives from five regions in Mindanao. It was organized on July 19 only in Quezon, Bukidnon.
Comtramsco is an organization of 20 transport cooperatives from five regions in Mindanao. It was organized on July 19 only in Quezon, Bukidnon.
Erederos is hoping that transport cooperatives will be prioritized in the PUV Modernization Program since they were the ones who complied with the requirements.
The group also called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) not to extend the deadline for the consolidation of traditional to modern jeepneys.
LTFRB has originally set the deadline on June 20, 2023.
Marcos, however, extended the deadline for the PUVs to consolidate their traditional jeepneys until Dec. 31 or they lose their franchise. – with a report from Nef Lucson/PNA
