The Philippines

ASEAN Headline, March 20th - According to a report by Philippine media on March 19th, due to the continuous rise in international oil prices, protests broke out in many parts of the Philippines in the transportation sector. Thousands of jeepney drivers took to the streets to oppose the sharp increase in fuel prices, which led to a significant decline in their income.

The report stated that the protesting drivers not only demanded that the government lower the oil prices, but also called for the cancellation of fuel-related taxes, expanding the subsidy scope, and restoring the government's control mechanism over fuel prices. At the same time, as the rate adjustment was postponed, the operational pressure in the industry further increased.

The Philippine government has taken measures including providing fuel subsidies and shortening the working week to cope with the impact of rising oil prices, and the Congress has authorized the president to suspend or lower the fuel tax when necessary. However, the transportation groups believe that the existing measures are insufficient and have failed to effectively alleviate the real difficulties of grassroots drivers.