In the Philippines, a sharp rise in fuel prices has triggered a nationwide mobilization of transport workers, laying bare a deep crisis that extends far beyond the sector itself. The war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran has intensified energy price volatility and further weakened fuel‑dependent economies such as the Philippines.
Within just a few months, the price of diesel has more than doubled, pushing thousands of drivers into an untenable situation. Jeepneys, buses, motorcycle taxis and app‑based drivers have all been hit. In response to these unsustainable conditions, drivers’ organizations—led by the powerful PISTON‑KMU union—called a new national transport strike on March 26 and 27, expanding the mobilization across regions and categories of workers.
Working without earning: a daily reality
Our partner Gabriela, shares the story of Tatay Arnel, a jeepney driver, who explains that once he has paid for fuel and covered his daily expenses, he is sometimes left with less than one euro a day to support his family. This is not an isolated case: many drivers find themselves working a full day for almost no income, or sometimes even a loss. For Gabriela, the crisis is felt on a daily basis by families, and rising prices have a direct impact on household incomes.
The effects of rising fuel costs reach well beyond the transport sector. Higher production and transport expenses are passed on to consumers, impacting the price of basic necessities and placing even greater pressure on households. Farmers—already among the most vulnerable groups in Philippine society—are seeing their incomes shrink, while overall economic prospects continue to deteriorate.
In this context, Viva Salud’s partners warn of a troubling trend: an energy crisis that is rapidly turning into a major social crisis, deepening inequality and undermining already fragile livelihoods.
Despite the scale of the movement, government responses have been limited and temporary. Some drivers have received one‑off financial assistance, but these payments cover only a small fraction of the real costs generated by soaring fuel prices.
A mobilization rooted in a broader struggle
Faced with this crisis, the mobilized organizations are not satisfied with one-off solutions. They are advancing structural demands aimed at fundamentally transforming the current system, including:
- an immediate reduction in fuel prices
- the abolition of taxes on petroleum products
- a substantial increase in the minimum wage toward a living wage
- support for drivers’ fare increase demands
- a re‑examination of the deregulation of the oil sector
These demands reflect a clear determination by the social movement to address the root causes of the crisis, instead of just its symptoms.
For our partner organization Karapatan, the absence of structural responses amounts to “a violation of workers’ economic rights.” Karapatan stresses that strikers are simply exercising their right to protest in the face of conditions that have become objectively unbearable. The organization also highlights the role of international dynamics in worsening living conditions in the Philippines on a much broader scale.
For Viva Salud’s partners, the current mobilization extends well beyond the transport sector. It forms part of a wider struggle for social, economic and political justice, in a context where international crises exacerbate inequalities that are already firmly established.
