WITH THE hustle and bustle of Katipunan, jeepneys play a pivotal role in students’ commute. However, with less passengers flocking jeepney terminals due to quarantine restrictions, Balara-Katipunan Jeepney Operators Drivers Association (BKJODA) President Limuel Banta is struggling to earn decently even after driving up to 17 hours a day.

“Mas nahihirapan [ako ngayon] kasi lumiit [ang] kita ta’s sobrang mahal ng bilihin… tsaka kailangan mag-ingat nang sobra sa katawan para ‘di magkasakit (I am having a hard time right now because I’m earning little despite the expensive necessities. That’s why I need to take care of my body so that I don’t get ill),” Banta shares.

Although Banta was able to return to work last December 2020, his sentiments represent the jeepney drivers’ persisting livelihood concerns and their struggle to support themselves in the long run.

Adjusting boundaries

Even before the pandemic, an existing boundary system charged drivers a fixed amount of their income for vehicles’ rental fee from jeepney operators. The system forces competition as drivers rush to fit more passengers in seats and work longer hours to get decent wages.

The COVID-19 pandemic only aggravated drivers’ woes as the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine banned jeepney vehicles for at least four months as part of the suspension on mass transportation services last March 2020.

Beyond pandemic-related concerns, the Department of Transportation remains steadfast in its bid to “modernize existing transport services” through the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program. The plan has long drawn the ire of jeepney workers due to the high costs required to purchase modern jeepneys.

Despite the drivers’ opposition, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is pushing for operators to consolidate their fleets by March 31 as part of its initial steps towards a gradual jeepney phaseout. The move to form cooperatives that will oversee the operation and maintenance of vehicles has been delayed twice from the original June 2020 deadline.

Although some jeepney drivers temporarily returned to the roads last November 2020, their source of income remains unstable as they continue to rely on the volume of passengers. BKJODA Board Member Neil Jamelarin shares that the lack of passengers and boundary fees could mean having little to no profit for the day compared to his daily wage of Php 800 prior to the pandemic. “Sa [operator] ko Php 150… sa’kin Php 150, Diesel pa na Php 150 (Php 150 for my operator, Php 150 for myself, and Php 150 for Diesel),” he adds.

These low wages, spanning from Php 150 to Php 200 a day for two trips, forced Jamelarin to extend his working hours and get an additional round for a decent income. He shares that drivers in the association would randomly decide at 3 AM on who gets the needed extra trip.

Even with the jeepneys’ temporary return, drivers such as UP-Katipunan-K-Mart Jeepney Operators Drivers Association (KKJODA) member Jermin De Guzman are still unable to get back on the road, forcing some drivers to switch jobs.

“Malaki po ang epekto sa akin ng pandemya kasi po napipilitan akong lumayo sa pamilya ko para sa ibang trabaho at may [nababalitaan] pa kami na tuluyan na raw i-phase out ang aming jeep na ikinabubuhay [ng aming] pamilya (The pandemic has a big effect on me because I had to move away from my family for another job. We heard that the jeep that our family relies on [for livelihood] will be phased out),” De Guzman explains.

Support from the Hill

As a response to the worsening plight of jeepney drivers in Katipunan, Vice President of Social Development Rizalino Rivera shares that the University donated at least two rounds of food packs to jeepney drivers from BKJODA and KKJODA.

Rivera also adds that the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) has hired jeepney drivers to help deliver relief goods to their partner communities during quarantine. He emphasizes that they will continue to tap them for future efforts.

Alongside this, concerned Atenean students and alumni created initiatives such as Para: Online Ukay for a Cause and Kilos Kapwa at the height of the enhanced community quarantine to provide immediate relief for jeepney workers. Both initiatives gathered donations through fundraising efforts and posting their stories on social media to raise public awareness of the jeepney drivers’ plight.

Kilos Kapwa co-founder and Office for Social Concern and Involvement formator Juin Ancha says that they chose the jeepney drivers to build collective solidarity among the Ateneo community by responding to the sector’s long-standing issues.

In an effort to improve drivers’ long-term welfare, the Move As One Coalition—a collective of advocates fighting for a humane transportation system in the Philippines—pushed to replace the boundary system with service contracting. The policy guarantees public transport drivers fixed income from the government based on kilometers driven on the road and has been implemented nationwide by the LTFRB last October 2020.

However, De Guzman is distrustful of service contracting given the government’s strict implementation of the PUV modernization program. “Hindi po ako pabor sa jeepney modernization… tapos, kontrolado pa nila ang kita naming mga driver (The government will be controlling our wages despite the fact that I am against jeepney modernization),” he says.

In light of this, Move As One Coalition Secretary-General Hyacenth Bendaña recognizes that more work needs to be done to convince drivers to establish trust towards the government, especially with paying them on time.

Standing in solidarity

Despite the emergence of community fundraising efforts, some drivers may not be able to wait for additional temporary relief to support their families. Bendaña questions the impact of Atenean-led donations efforts, noting that they bear little effect in addressing the sector’s needs.

Beyond engagement, Bendaña adds that although it is important to bring awareness to the jeepney sector, she asserts that the Ateneo community needs to take bolder action to  influence the debates on these concerns.

“Iba kasi iyung kilos na talagang nakikiisa ka sa sektor at sa pinagdadaanan ng sektor and a lot of Ateneo students have yet to do that (Being in solidarity with the struggles of the sector is really different and a lot of Ateneo students have yet to do that),” Bendaña explains.

Nevertheless, Jamelarin expresses that although he is thankful that the fundraising efforts helped his family survive during quarantine, he asserts that donations are not sustainable. “Kapos pa rin kasi sa mga bills namin sa araw-araw, dito sa bahay, bayarin namin sa tubig at kuryente. Hindi sapat. Iba pa rin kasi yung may biyaheng araw-araw (It’s not enough because of our water and electricity bills at home. Having a daily working job is still essential),” he shares.

Likewise, Bendaña affirms that jeepney drivers deserve long-term assistance from their fellow countrymen such as social security and health insurance, among others to ensure a sustainable and secure life for themselves and their loved ones.  “Let our voice add up to theirs in demanding for better rights…for better welfare… [and] to be treated [humanely],” Bendana adds.

In the meantime, jeepney drivers such as De Guzman continue to hope for things to go back to normal when they could earn enough to sustain themselves. “Excited kami na makapasok sa Ateneo tsaka po… ‘yung turing [ng Ateneans] sa amin ay hindi iba, parang kapamilya iyun turing nila sa amin (We’re excited to enter Ateneo once more. They make us feel like we’re not different, like we’re part of their family),” De Guzman shares.