The latest public transportation fare increase is adding another layer of financial pressure on Davao consumers already grappling with higher prices of food, electricity and other basic necessities, according to the Davao Consumer Movement (DCM).
The new fares took effect on September 28, 2026, following fare adjustments approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The minimum fare for traditional jeepneys increased to P14 from P13, while the flag-down rate for regular taxis rose to P65 from P50. Fares for buses, UV Express, transport network vehicle services (TNVS) and point-to-point buses were also adjusted.
For the DCM, the fare increase comes at a time when consumers are already struggling to stretch their incomes amid rising household expenses.
Consumer advocate Ryan Amper, convenor of the DCM, said the latest adjustment should be viewed beyond the fare matrix itself because it directly affects the disposable income of ordinary workers.
“The fare increase is not just another adjustment on a fare matrix. For ordinary consumers, it is another expense that has to be taken from an already limited income,” Amper said.
The impact is particularly significant for minimum-wage earners who rely on public transportation to get to and from work.
In Davao City, where the daily minimum wage is P540, a worker making two jeepney rides per workday for six days a week would spend at least P168 weekly under the new P14 minimum fare, compared with P156 under the previous P13 rate.
This translates to an additional P12 per week, or a 7.69% increase in basic jeepney transportation expenses.
The DCM said the increase could be more substantial for workers who regularly depend on taxis. It cited a worker making two taxi rides daily for six working days who would incur at least P780 a week based solely on the new P65 flag-down rate, compared with P600 under the previous P50 rate.
“That means an additional P180 per week, or a 30% increase in flag-down charges alone. Actual taxi expenses could be higher depending on distance, traffic and waiting-time charges reflected on the meter,” the DCM said.
Based on a six-day workweek and the P540 daily minimum wage, a worker would earn P3,240 gross per week.
Under the new rates, the minimum jeepney fare for two rides a day would account for about 5.19% of that weekly income, while the taxi flag-down baseline for two rides a day would represent about 24.07%.
The DCM said the figures illustrate how transportation costs can gradually eat into the income available for food, rent, utilities and other household needs.
“What consumers need from the government are short-term measures that can help slow the rapid increase in the prices of basic necessities, alongside medium- and long-term solutions that can reduce the country’s vulnerability to similar price shocks in the future,” the group said.
The DCM also recognized that drivers and operators are facing their own financial pressures, including higher fuel, maintenance and other operating costs.
However, the group said the burden should not be viewed solely from the perspective of transport fares, as commuters are simultaneously dealing with increases in other essential expenses.
It called on government leaders to set aside political differences and focus on measures that can help ease the rising cost of living.
For Davao consumers who depend on public transportation every day, the fare hike means another deduction from already limited incomes.
The DCM said the continuing increases ultimately raise a basic question for ordinary workers: whether their salaries will still be enough to last until the next payday.
