It is with great sadness that we share the passing of George San Mateo, former national president of Piston and a long-time leader in the transport sector. Ka George died of a heart attack around 9:00 pm on July 25. He was 60.
Ka George was known across the country as a fearless leader and activist fighting for the rights and welfare of jeepney drivers, operators, and working people. He was born and raised in Metro Manila, the fourth of five children to parents from Pampanga and Bataan. As a teenager during the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, Ka George witnessed injustice early on. This led him to join Kabataan para sa Demokrasya at Nasyonalismo (Kadena), a youth group that stood up for democracy and national sovereignty during the dying years of the Marcos Sr. regime. He became its Parañaque chapter chair in 1985 and national spokesperson by 1987.
Before becoming a full-time transport leader, Ka George worked for over a decade as a driver—first as a family driver, then for a car rental company, and eventually as a taxi driver-operator after buying a second-hand vehicle. These jobs helped him understand the daily struggles of transport workers.
In 2004, he joined Piston’s general secretariat as public information officer after longtime Piston leader Medardo “Ka Roda” Roda suffered a stroke. He was later elected Piston NCR secretary general and appointed national spokesperson in 2005. In 2007, he became the group’s national secretary general and in 2012, he was elected as national president of Piston.
As president, Ka George led high-profile strikes and protests against fuel price hikes during the Aquino administration. In 2017, under the Duterte regime, he spearheaded the resistance against the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), pushing instead for a just, people-centered public transport policy rather than a profit-driven phaseout of traditional jeepneys.
In December 2017, he was arrested for leading a two-day nationwide transport strike. He was released on bail and eventually cleared of charges three years later in 2020. These legal actions underscored the Philippine state’s contentious relationship with transport workers and activists resisting anti-people policies.
After serving as Piston’s national president, Ka George was succeeded by Mody Floranda in 2019 and has since held the title of president emeritus.
Under his stewardship, Piston became known for militant yet publicly resonant campaigns that challenge both corporate and foreign interests and government inaction on public transport issues.