Several personalities expressed solidarity with the week-long movement that opposes the phase-out of traditional jeepneys in the country.
The nationwide transport strike started on Monday, March 6. It is scheduled to end on Sunday, March 12.
Drag queens and content creators
Drag queens Precious Paula Nicole and Eva Le Queen shared posts where they used the hashtag #NoToJeepneyPhaseout on their accounts.
Precious, the winner of the first season of “Drag Race Philippines,” uploaded photos of her jeepney-inspired look from her official poster for the recently concluded reality show.
“Save our Jeepneys!” the Drag Race Superstar wrote in the caption.
View this post on Instagram
Eva, a finalist in the same drag competition, shared a screenshot of a Facebook post that explained the reason for the impact of the jeepney phase-out on the drivers.
This is why #NoToJeepneyPhaseout pic.twitter.com/7HDli5CDf8
— Ms. Eva DRAG BINGO Le Queen (@eva_lequeen) March 4, 2023
The post in the screenshot was uploaded by a Facebook user named Tatine Saezn on March 4. It can still be accessed on the platform.
Saezn likened the traditional jeepney driver’s situation to that of a corporate office setup.
“Nagbigay ng memo ang office niyo na papalitan na lahat ng PC niyo ng MacBook. Natuwa kasi, wow, MacBook. Mas mabilis. Mas maganda,” the post reads.
“Kaso nalaman mo na kayo pala magbabayad. 75,000 ang isa noon, pero huhulugan mo monthly. 7K a month, for the next 10 months,” it added.
It further stated: “Eh paano yan, 18K lang sweldo mo? Pamasahe, kain, bigay kay mama, papa at sa mga kapatid.”
So far, it garnered 11,000 reactions, 726 comments and 11,000 shares on the platform.
Several online users have also shared screengrab copies of the post across Facebook and Twitter.
Content creators Christian Antolin and Macoy Dubs, meanwhile, uploaded skits that about commuters’ experiences in jeepney rides.
Macoy Dubs, shared a skit that featured the jeepney drivers who drive a bit too fast on the road to get passengers to their destinations. It has since garnered 56,000 views on Facebook.
“Jeep na 2JZ swap,” the caption reads. It refers to a type of powerful engine that is popular among car enthusiasts.
Antolin, meanwhile, posted a video compilation of his sketch comedies related to experiences in jeepney rides.
“#NoToJeepneyPhaseout Paano na yung mga moments naming ganito?” the caption reads.
It has since garnered 3.3 million views, 414,000 reactions and 6,300 comments as of writing.
The online protest through the hashtag #NoToJeepneyPhaseout continues to stay on the trending topics of Twitter Philippines on the second day of the transport strike.
The same hashtag also has more than 6,000 posts on Instagram while it garnered over 316,000 posts on Facebook.
The Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) retained the deadline for the consolidation of single operator jeepney drivers on December 31 amid the series of rallies.
The previous deadline was on June 30. The LTFRB moved it to a later date to supposedly give operators more time to consolidate into cooperatives.
RELATED: ‘Modernisasyon, hindi phase-out’: The battlecry of jeepney drivers, operators | Why non-transport groups back ‘#NoToJeepneyPhaseout’ protests
Reports said that at least 100,000 jeepney drivers, along with members of progressive groups, joined in solidarity with the movement in different parts of the country.
READ: PISTON: Transport strike paralyzes some jeepney routes in Metro Manila
