MANILA - A group of jeepney drivers and operators held a noise barrage in Monumento, Caloocan City Saturday to protest an impending price increase this week.

Members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) staged a protest rally along Rizal Avenue after they received information that some oil companies would increase the prices of diesel and gasoline.

Prices of diesel and gasoline are reportedly set to increase by P1 and P0.50, respectively, on Monday.  It will be the 3rd price adjustment in 3 weeks.

“Kung magpatuloy ito, wala na kaming choice kundi mag-file ng fare hike,” said Piston secretary-general George San Mateo.

Jeepney drivers complained that they have already lost a daily income of P150 since the lifting of Executive Order 839, which mandated oil companies to bring down fuel prices to the October 15 level in the aftermath of the recent typhoons.

San Mateo added that the government should also implement a suggested reference price (SRP) on petroleum products, citing the SRP released by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Price watch

The said SRP was implemented by the DA on Sunday.

Per the SRP, chicken should be sold at P135 to P145 per kilo while pork should be sold at P170 to P175 a kilo. Beef and vegetables are not included.

Prior to the SRP’s implementation, the DA and Department of Trade and Industry revealed that they would dispatch a monitoring team to 28 wet markets and supermarkets.

Market vendors, however, are not happy with the price watch.

They argued that they, too, have been affected by the oil price hikes as they have to pay more to the middlemen who transport chicken and pork from producers.

But they are prohibited to increase the prices due to the SRP.

“Dati nakakabenta ako ng 50 manok kada araw. Ngayon 20 na lang, pahirapan pa,” stated vendor Zenaida Flores. -Reports from radio dzMM and Apples Jalandoni, ABS-CBN News