GOVERNMENT was quick to belittle the transport strike of the Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (MANIBELA), saying it had a “ very minimal effect.”

“So far, sa amin pong monitoring ay very minimal po ‘yung sinasabing strike ,” MMDA acting chairman Romando Artes said in a radio interview over radio station DZBB.

According to their monitoring, Artes said that there had been a “small build-up” of passengers in four areas.

They are in San Juan, Novaliches, and Commonwealth.

“Hindi nga po namin alam kung normal na Monday na pasahero lamang ‘yun dahil ‘yung isa, like sa San Juan, about 40 to 50 passengers. Hindi pa nga nakapuno po ng isang bus,” he said.

In Davao City, General Santos City, Puerto Princesa City, and Palawan province, they were not affected by the transport strike.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board noted that the transport strike “did not in any way disrupt the public transportation service in the country.”

“No significant stranded passengers were monitored. The incident of harassment recorded in Region 3 was properly and promptly acted upon by the local police in the area,” it added.

They also said that there was an efficient implementation of the contingency measures by the national government through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Tigil Pasada.

MANIBELA had protested the government’s plan to phase out traditional jeepneys.

They also accused the LTFRB of corruption.