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Jeepney drivers, local manufacturers must benefit from PUVMP: Sen. Robinhood Padilla urges the government to ensure that the jeepney drivers and local manufacturers will be the main beneficiaries of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP). During Friday’s hearing, June 21, 2024 of the Committee on Public Services, Padilla expressed his support for the PUV modernization program but stressed the government must support local manufacturers over foreign companies. “We are not opposing modernization. No one from government opposes modernization. But we must support our local manufacturers before foreign ones. In the end, we must not forget our goal to protect the small jeepney drivers," Padilla said in Filipino. Padilla pointed out jeepney drivers continue to play a major role in public transport, with a big chunk of students and workers not being able to get to school or work without riding jeepneys. He added communities would be paralyzed when PUV drivers would hold jeepney strikes. Padilla noted that while the PUV Modernization Program aimed to benefit jeepney drivers and passengers by providing for modern jeepneys when it was launched in 2017, many problems have surfaced during its implementation. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)