Up! Up and Away…..

unfortunately it’s not on a beautiful balloon.

Yesterday, the oil companies in the Philippines raised their gas prices for the umpteenth time. Diesel prices was given a 3 peso raised, gasoline 1 peso and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) had a 1 peso and 50 centavos hike. Outrageous! The price hike was initiated even though the price of crude oil recorded their biggest drop in weeks! According tho the latest issue of the Philippine Star; Some oil companies implemented a “One-time, big-time” increase to end the burden of weekly increases on the transport sector. Wow! They really are a bunch of nice guys, aren’t they? Thinking of the little people are they? Mph!

One of the main effects of this ridiculous prices is the demand of the Jeepney drivers are now asking another fare hike increase as well. They are asking a whopping 10 peso minimum fare. This is only a few weeks after the fare for Jeepneys were increased just a few weeks ago. But! I really can’t blame them. Can you? PUV’s (Public Utility Vehicles) needs fuel to service their customers, and with all the latest increases in gasoline and diesel prices their small earnings has just gotten smaller. According to the jeepney driver that I spoke to this morning. They needed the Php.2.50 increase in the minimum fare so that they can at least earn 300 pesos a day. 300 pesos and they can just get by with it. I’m earning closed to a thousand a day and my wife earns almost 600 to 700 pesos a day working in a bank, and we’re still not able to cope up with our family’s basic needs. And the jeepney drivers’ only wish is to earn 300 pesos. Man! Worst of it the four major groups of Jeepney drivers have threatening a Transport holiday if their demands are not met. The Taxi fare will have a 10 peso increased on the 25th of July. Thank God the Bus transport groups are not asking for an increase. But you can never tell.

But! What about the consumers? People who uses PUVs? Don’t they get a say in all this? In case the government approved the fare hike, food prices will go up next. And there’s an ongoing rice shortage in the Philippines.

The only thing not rising are the salaries of employed individuals. IF all prices goes up, how will the people cope? Another fare hike increase and I swear I won’t ride a jeepney anymore if I’m just going to a place that’s only a few blocks. I’ll walk instead.

But stll I can’t blame the Jeepney drivers for asking for a better price, they have families. The thins is I, we all have families too. This is a classic no win situation. The only winners are the oil companies.

And they can’t burn in hell for all I care.