The transportation strike that kicks off today in Negros Occidental triggered a two-day suspension of classes at all levels in most private schools, including the University of Saint La Salle and the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos .

But Bacolod Schools Superintendent Milagros Gonzales said yesterday that classes in public schools have not been cancelled.

The two-day transportation strike spearheaded by the United Negros Drivers Operators Center-Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide and the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and from 6 a.m. tomorrow to culminate with rally in front of the Bacolod City Hall in the afternoon.

Organizers expect to paralyze 90 percent of public transportation today and a bigger number tomorrow, Jessie Ortega, UNDOC secretary general, said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Ceres Liner has agreed to operate on a skeletal force where its buses will only leave terminals if there are enough passengers, Ortega said.

But the Alliance of Concerned Transport in Occidental Negros headed by Teddy Macainan said vehicles under their group will continue to ply the streets and serve the public today and tomorrow.

Macainan said the artificial rise in fuel prices has been triggered by the winter months and a two-day strike would aggravate the plight of those in the transport sector and cause loss of income to the ordinary employees in the government and private sectors during these difficult times.

Ortega said Macainan's group comprises a very small sector of the public transport group and will not make a dent on their strike.

GOV'T OFFICES TO STAY OPEN

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City government offices will remain open to serve the public during the strike, Gov. Joseph Marañon and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.

I recognize the right of the strikers to free assembly and freedom of expression but it will be business as usual at the City Hall, Leonardia said.

Marañon said the transport strike is part of the democratic right of those who join it as long as it is kept peaceful and within the bounds of the law.

Provincial Capitol and City Hall vehicles will be provided to enable employees to come to work, Marañon and Leonardia said.

Some private firms, like Teleperformance, also said they would provide shuttle services for their employees during the strike.

Roberto Montelibano, president of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he sympathizes with the strikers because there has to be some transparency in the cost of imported fuel in the light of the drop in the peso-dollar exchange by more than P10 already.

PNP ON ALERT

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, Negros Occidental provincial director, said the police will be on full alert provincewide during the transportation strike.

We will exercise maximum tolerance as long the protestors do not harass others who continue to ply the streets, Franco said.

They should not force others who do not wish to join them to get off streets, he said.

The Provincial Mobile Group will be on alert to respond to any untoward incident, he said.

Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, Bacolod police director, said the Bacolod police will also conduct patrols to prevent untoward incidents.

SUPPORT URGED

Ortega yesterday urged commuters to support the transport strike by keeping off the streets to show their protest against the “unbearable weekly oil price increases that have inflicted so much burden not only to the drivers and operators but also to the consumers”.

We appeal to the public to support the strike because we want to put pressure on the Arroyo administration to heed to our call, he said, noting that so far the president has been deaf to their calls to control the oil price increases.

UNDOC and FEBACDA are demanding that the Arroyo administration reduce the Expanded Value Added Tax imposed on petroleum products, implement a moratorium on oil price increases and scrap the oil deregulation law.

“The Arroyo administration has the executive powers to immediately suspend the implementation of the oil deregulation law because it affects public interests already. If she doesn't make a move for the immediate suspension of the oil deregulation law, it only shows the futility of her administration to defend public interests,” Ortega said.

In Bacolod City , UNDOC is setting up two minor and four major rally centers particularly at Libertad, Ramos, Burgos and Magsaysay. Major rally centers will be also set up in different cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental to ensure substantial paralysis and order during the strike, Ortega said.

CLASSES SUSPENDED

Other schools that have signified their suspension of classes while the transport strike is being staged are La Consolacion College, West Negros College , Colegio de San Agustin, John B. Lacson Colleges, St. Benilde School, St. John's Institute, St. Joseph 's High School, Tay Tung High School , St. Scholastica's Academy, Riverside College and Jack and Jill School .

Gonzales said classes in public schools in Bacolod City have not been cancelled since most pupils and teachers live in the communities where their schools are located.

If some teachers and pupils are unable to go to school because of lack of transportation, there is nothing we can do about it, she said.

Meanwhile, she pointed out that many public schools in Bacolod City already had no classes this week because of the ongoing Palarong Panlalawigan.

The Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center is calling on Bacolod businessmen to support the transport strike.

“The burden of oil price increases is not only carried by the transport sector but by businessmen and the working class, Ronald Ian Evidente, KMU Negros spokesperson, said.

The Labor Power Council-Negros and the Partido ng Manggagawa yesterday also aired their support for the nationwide strike.*CPG

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