(UPDATED) Over 60,000 passengers had already boarded free jeepneys in Manila by 2:30 p.m. Monday, March 30, and Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso says that is only the beginning.
Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) Director Dennis Viaje reported to the Mayor that 60,228 passengers were served as of 2:30 p.m.
In response, the Mayor said, “Makaramdam lang ng ginhawa ang taong bayan, maramdam lang nila na may gobyerno sa Maynila, masaya na ako.”
The initiative, Domagoso said, was deliberately structured to deliver guaranteed benefits to four sectors at once — operators, drivers, gas station workers, and the riding public — in what he described as a comprehensive response to the economic pressures brought by the global oil crisis.
“Lahat makikinabang,” Domagoso said during an ambush interview following the Manila City Hall flag-raising ceremony.
“Operator, garantisadong may kita, may boundary. Driver, from regular 200–300 pesos na net niya, at least ngayon humigit-kumulang isang libong piso garantiya,” he added.
For operators, the program guarantees their boundary will be met at the end of the day — something the city government is shouldering entirely.
For drivers, the jump from ₱200 to ₱300 in daily net earnings to at least ₱1,000 in guaranteed income brings significant relief. The city disburses 50% of that pay upfront before a driver’s first trip, with the remaining 50% released at the end of the shift.
“Petiks-petiks lang ang pagmamaneho niya, hindi siya mai-stress,” Domagoso said. “But there is a level of assurance na meron siyang maiuwing magandang kita.”
The third beneficiary in Domagoso’s framework is one that rarely figures in discussions about transport subsidies: gas stations. With over 900 jeepneys guaranteed to complete their routes regardless of passenger load, fuel purchases are secured.
“Pangatlo, ‘yung gasolinahan, mabibentahan, na nagbibigay ng trabaho sa mga trabahante natin sa gasolinahan,” the Mayor said.
Commuters round out the four-sector equation. Students, workers, and other members of the riding public travelling within Manila’s six districts pay nothing for the duration of the program.
Domagoso was candid that the program came at a cost — roughly ₱20 million in taxpayers’ money over five days — but argued that the breadth of its impact justified the spending.
The Mayor said the relief could not have come at a more critical time, describing the daily anxiety of commuters who board jeepneys unsure whether their money will stretch far enough.
“Papasok ka, kinakabahan ka kung ‘yung naisubo mong pera eh kakasya pa sa pamasahe at pang-chicha,” the Mayor said.
