Palace: Out-of-work jeepney drivers may be tapped for delivery services
By Genalyn Kabiling
Jeepney drivers may be tapped for delivery services to help them cope amid the coronavirus lockdown, according to a Palace official.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque
(RESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has proposed the alternative employment for jeepney drivers since they remain prohibited from plying their routes in community quarantine areas. "Kanina po, kasama ko rin si (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade, mayroon din silang plano na gawing delivery service iyong ating mga jeepneys, kasi nga hindi pupuwedeng sakyan because hindi pupuwede ang social distancing (Earlier, I was with Secretary Tugade. They have a plan to use our jeepneys for delivery service because their vehicles are not yet allowed to operate because social distancing cannot be observed)," he said in a televised press briefing Tuesday (June 9). The government earlier proposed that jeepney drivers may be hired as contact tracers to boost the country's testing efforts. The jeepney drivers have been out of work since their operations have been prohibited in community quarantine areas. Asked about the plans to tap jeepney drivers for contact tracing, Roque said there was no update yet. He gave the assurance that the displaced jeepney drivers will be among the target beneficiaries of the second tranche of the emergency subsidy program. He said it will be studied if these public utility drivers can be given additional financial aid. "Pag-aaralan kung may matitira para magkaroon sila ng additional tranche. Wala pong pangako iyan, pero titingnan po talaga natin kung mayroong matitira, at mapupunta iyan po sa mga walang hanapbuhay (We will study if there will be funds left so they can have an additional tranche. We cannot promise it yet, but we will see if there will be funds left, and these will go to those who have no work)," he said. Roque also said the modernization program for the jeepney sector will be hastened so those who lose their jobs can shift to modern jeepneys.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque(RESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has proposed the alternative employment for jeepney drivers since they remain prohibited from plying their routes in community quarantine areas. "Kanina po, kasama ko rin si (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade, mayroon din silang plano na gawing delivery service iyong ating mga jeepneys, kasi nga hindi pupuwedeng sakyan because hindi pupuwede ang social distancing (Earlier, I was with Secretary Tugade. They have a plan to use our jeepneys for delivery service because their vehicles are not yet allowed to operate because social distancing cannot be observed)," he said in a televised press briefing Tuesday (June 9). The government earlier proposed that jeepney drivers may be hired as contact tracers to boost the country's testing efforts. The jeepney drivers have been out of work since their operations have been prohibited in community quarantine areas. Asked about the plans to tap jeepney drivers for contact tracing, Roque said there was no update yet. He gave the assurance that the displaced jeepney drivers will be among the target beneficiaries of the second tranche of the emergency subsidy program. He said it will be studied if these public utility drivers can be given additional financial aid. "Pag-aaralan kung may matitira para magkaroon sila ng additional tranche. Wala pong pangako iyan, pero titingnan po talaga natin kung mayroong matitira, at mapupunta iyan po sa mga walang hanapbuhay (We will study if there will be funds left so they can have an additional tranche. We cannot promise it yet, but we will see if there will be funds left, and these will go to those who have no work)," he said. Roque also said the modernization program for the jeepney sector will be hastened so those who lose their jobs can shift to modern jeepneys.