Reggie Manlapig, 46, has been driving jeepneys for nearly 25 years and has weathered rising fuel prices – but with costs spiking amid the global energy crunch, he is now wrestling bigger demons.
“The impact has been huge. Before, in a 16-hour shift of driving, I could take home 400 to 500 pesos [US$6.30 to US$8] – now there’s a big cut to that income,” said Manlapig, who plies a two-hour daily round route from Malolos in Bulacan, north of Manila, to San Fernando, Pampanga.
“Doing the full route five times straight in a day really pushes you. Before, three round trips alone would already give you decent earnings – especially on days with no classes, holidays, or student holiday periods; those are especially hard.”
His sentiments reflect the broader grievances of jeepney drivers and other public transport operators in the Philippines, who continue to bear the brunt of soaring fuel prices from the gridlocked Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war.