Regularization of drivers and conductors of public transport will be an important part of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s ‘to-do-list” if he makes it to the presidency.

The son of a jeepney driver, Lacson underscored the need to guarantee public transport industry workers a steady income in order to give more opportunities to their family specially in educating their children and protect the commuting public in case of accidents.

Interviewed over radio DZXL over the weekend, Lacson could not help but reminisce about how his own father raised their family out of his earnings as a jeepney driver in their home province of Cavite.

“‘Yan ang bumuhay sa amin nagpaaral sa aming magkakapatid (That’s the job that provided for us and helped send me and my siblings through school),” Lacson said proudly of the profession of his father, Buenaventura—who had eight children with his wife, Maxima.

Coming from humble beginnings, Lacson’s life is a rare success story that saw a jeepney driver’s son becoming the head of the Philippine National Police and eventually, a senator.

But the Partido Reporma chairman and standard bearer declares that in the center of the success was his father.

The longtime public servant told hosts Ricky Rivera and Raul Virtudazo of the “Pasada 558” program that regularizing public transport workers is a great way to ensure they have regular salaries, give more opportunities to their families—especially in educating their children—and protect the commuting public in case of accidents.

In crafting the legislation needed to enforce this practice among public transport companies, the three-term senator said lawmakers must be “filled with data” to learn all its positive and negative effects for the industry, even as he stressed that regularizing drivers and conductors would raise their dignity.

“Kasi diyan ma-pro-professionalize mga driver konduktor tapos medyo maganda ‘yung tingin nila, ‘yung dignidad nila aangat, kasi regular employees na sila. Hindi na sila ‘yung parang, alam mo ‘yon, boundary system (Regularization will professionalize the drivers and conductors, so they will see themselves in a better light, and improve their dignity because they become regular employees. They won’t rely on the ‘boundary system.),” said Lacson.

Most jeepney drivers and bus conductors have their income tied to a “boundary” that the vehicle owner or operator sets for a certain day or period. The “boundary” income is what goes to the owner/operator; anything in excess of that then goes to the driver/conductor, which is highly variable given traffic conditions, the volume of passengers, and government regulations, to name a few factors.

cson, who is running for president on a platform of eradicating crime and corruption and fixing the government to benefit all Filipinos, also said that if the public transportation system is fixed, transport workers will have more discipline and could easily be punished if they violate any laws.