Jeepney drivers in Cebu and delivery riders in Davao demanded the immediate removal of the value-added tax (VAT) and excise tax on petroleum products amid steep price hikes over the past week.

In Cebu City, the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON, or Unity of Drivers’ and Operators’ Associations Nationwide) Cebu led a protest on Sunday, March 15, at the Caltex Gas Station on General Maxilom Avenue. Together with progressive groups, the drivers called for the junking of the Oil Deregulation Law, the removal of VAT and excise taxes, and the pursuit of national industrialization to reduce the country’s dependence on imported oil.

The drivers said their families can barely afford food since nearly all their earnings go to fuel costs. After the massive price hike on March 10, their daily income dropped by as much as ₱500. They announced during the protest their participation in the nationwide transport strike starting March 19.

In Davao City, the United Davao Delivery Riders Association (UDDRA) likewise demanded the immediate removal of excise and value-added taxes on oil products. The group said that even the first wave of increases already forced riders to shoulder additional expenses of ₱50 to ₱100 a day—equivalent to a sack of rice every month.

“This will further cut into our already low earnings or revenue due to the questionable schemes imposed by our various companies,” UDDRA’s March 13 statement said.

The group urged not only the national government but also local governments to provide aid to their sector and to others who are severely burdened by the oil price hikes.