Transport workers, commuters, and various concerned groups staged a transport strike and “Protestang Bayan” (People’s Protest) across key areas in Davao City on Friday.
Protest centers were established in Milan in Buhangin, Bunawan, and Matina Crossing as part of a broader nationwide action held from March 26 to 27.
However, protesters clustered in Matina Crossing were dispersed by personnel from the Talomo Police Station at Matina Crossing in Davao City citing the absence of a rally permit.
Organizers, led by Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said the coordinated strike aimed to amplify grassroots demands amid rising fuel prices and mounting economic pressures.
Organizers stated that the protest represented a collective stand of transport workers and ordinary commuters who had been bearing the brunt of relentless oil price hikes.
They added that many could no longer afford to remain silent as basic goods became increasingly inaccessible.
Protesters also called for immediate government action, including lowering oil prices and scrapping the value-added tax (VAT) on fuel and other essential commodities.
They also urged stronger accountability from the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
The groups said the government’s response had been inadequate and emphasized the need for concrete solutions instead of assurances, especially as the economic crisis deepened.
The protesters also stated that the protest also linked local economic concerns to global geopolitical tensions, with organizers criticizing what they described as an “imperialist war of aggression” led by the United States in West Asia.
The groups said protest rally os part of a continuing wave of protests nationwide, signaling growing unrest among sectors most affected by inflation and rising living costs.
