From Routes to Resilience: Exploring Manila Jeepney Drivers' Demographics and Perspectives on Proposed Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) through Thematic Analysis

Abstract :

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) introduced the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) through Department Order No. 2017-011 as the Philippines pushed towards modernization. The program aims to improve the transportation system, but it also poses challenges to traditional jeepney drivers such as income instability and job loss. This study aims to understand the experiences and perceptions of jeepney drivers based in Manila regarding the PUVMP. It examines the drivers’ income level, access to financial resources, access to social services, job security, and coping strategies with the proposed plan. The researchers used a qualitative-descriptive approach to describe and analyze the jeepney drivers’ perceptions and coping strategies. The study highlights the drivers’ resilience through hardships, the need for practical solutions, better government support, and recognition of locally made jeepneys to ensure economic stability for drivers facing challenges from the PUVMP. The recommendations emphasize the importance of exploring the complexities of societal issues, especially for those involving the marginalized sector, and how dissecting these issues can help raise awareness and develop critical thinking skills.