The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has strongly refuted claims made by the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) Cebu that a transport strike on Thursday, March 19, 2026, paralyzed public transportation across the entire city. In a telephone interview, CCTO Deputy Chief Atty. Kent Francesco Jongoy asserted that there was "no significant disruption" to commuter trips, directly contradicting figures released by the group which indicated up to 90% impact on certain routes.
Conflicting Reports on Strike Effects
Piston Cebu had earlier reported that routes such as Tamiya–MEPZ 1 were heavily affected, with disruptions reaching 90%, while other major routes—including Mabolo–Ayala, Lahug–Ayala, and Manalili–Cathedral—experienced nearly 85% paralysis. Additional routes, such as Talamban–Carbon and Pit-os–Colon, were said to have faced 75% disruptions. The strike was part of a nationwide protest led by Piston, opposing oil taxes, including value-added tax (VAT) and excise tax, and calling for reductions in fuel prices.
Modern Jeepneys Mitigate Disruption
However, Jongoy emphasized that the city had anticipated the strike's impact, citing an agreement reached on Wednesday between Mayor Nestor Archival and the Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperatives to ensure continuous operations of modern jeepneys. He highlighted that modern jeepneys constitute the majority of public transportation in Cebu City, whereas Piston Cebu, which primarily represents traditional jeepneys, holds only a small share. "As of 2 p.m. today, our current public transportation operations even exceeded that of yesterday—from 372 units to 410 units," Jongoy stated, based on data from the CCTO's Eagles Eye system at the intersection of Colon Street and Osmeña Boulevard.
Data Shows Increased Transport Units
Further data from Gorordo Ave. and Gen. Maxilom Ave., where Lahug routes pass, indicated that the number of transport units had increased compared to the average on Wednesday. "They said '85 percent' paralyzed. But our units per hour have actually grown compared to yesterday," Jongoy added. No significant reduction in transport numbers was observed on Pope John Paul II Ave. and F. Cabahug St., where routes from Mandaue City pass through, underscoring the limited effect of the strike on overall mobility.
