The leaders of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the United Negros Drivers Operators Center yesterday said they will support and join a planned protest spearheaded by PISTON (Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide) next month for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law and rising fuel prices.

MBCCI president Frank Carbon yesterday said that even if they still do not know the final date of the nationwide campaign that PISTON is organizing, they plan to dramatize their concern against the law through a rally but are still unsure if UNDOC will go on strike.

Carbon said that the initial date of the nationwide campaign is on March 12, which is also the opening of the 2012 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet.

Jesse Ortega, UNDOC secretary general, said they do not want to impede the on-going regional meet as there will be a lot of students coming from different schools in the region and in the province holding a strike on that date may inconvenience the athletes.

Ortega also that if the final date falls on March 12, they will hold a rally calling for the abolition of the oil deregulation law as it has not served its purpose of controlling the increase of oil prices.

Meawhile, the trips of sea vessels plying the Bacolod-Iloilo route have been reduced since early this month because of fewer travellers and the high cost of fuel, Carbon said.

Carbon, who is also the manager of Weesam Express, said they had 23 regular schedules from the three vessel operators (Weesam Express, SuperCat, and Ocean Jets) that ply Bacolod-Iloilo daily, but schedules had been reduced to 18 since February 1.

He said the month of February, and until the middle of March are considered lean months for them, thus they have to cut costs on their fuel expenditures.

Carbon, however, said, they will resume their regular schedule on the third week of March as they expect the arrival of tourists for the summer.*LTG

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