FROM BRAVING adverse weather conditions to traversing unknown roads in order to deliver items for a fleeting and often indifferent stranger, the career of a delivery and transportation gig worker is fast-paced—but with high-stakes and little reward.
Underneath the helmets are people no different than the rest, but their hands-on and temporary work have made them susceptible to unnecessary disrespect and even abuse. As people begin to rely more on delivery and transportation services due to stringent quarantine measures, it becomes unfair to demand quality service from these workers while simultaneously degrading them. This has prompted a review of what can and should be done for these two-wheeled frontliners.
Since their services are “performed as ride-hail and food delivery,” transportation and delivery workers are classified as gig workers. Along with freelancers and contract workers, they all constitute and contribute to the gig economy—a fairly new term to define “flexible, temporary, or freelance jobs.”
In fact, the Philippines was the sixth fastest-growing market for the gig economy in 2019. Given the increasing demand for online shopping and delivery services, the gig economy is projected to experience a considerable boost.
Anticipating this boom, Senator Sonny Angara mentioned how the lockdown will see commerce adjust to the new normal. “ Workers affected by the lockdown,” he added, “will start looking at alternative means of livelihood.”
Emmanuel Granada, for example, lost his job at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. To make ends meet, he has turned to the growing number of online purchases and delivery requests for livelihood, earning almost Php 1,440 a day. However, this comes not without cost. “Right now, there are more orders… there’s always a long line…there are also some main roads that are closed. But the hardest part is exhaustion,” said Joel, a delivery driver, as he detailed the struggles he and other workers face.
Conversely, Harvey Jun, another delivery driver, bemoaned the scarcity of work. “There’s not much work but we try hard. Today, I’ve only had three deliveries even if I started at 2 PM,” he said.
As more people subscribe to online services, others have also capitalized on these jobs—possibly saturating the industry with workers and thinning the available work.
Despite their varied skirmishes, many gig workers would rather stay home if not for the need to sustain themselves and their families. “Riders don’t want to be outside but we need to do it,” disclosed Jericho, another worker. “[We] have bills to pay. We have no choice.”
Whether they like it or not, delivery workers must persevere. All they ask in return is a bit of compassion and consideration.
“Halos ayaw ka na kausapin ng mga customers kasi nga na co-conscious na sila sa nangyayari (Customers almost do not want to talk to you because they are conscious of what’s going on),” lamented Ronnel, a rider for a large courier company. “Baka kala nila may virus kami kasi iba-iba nga rin nakakasalamuha naming mga tao (Maybe they think we have the virus because we meet with different people).”
