thesis about jeepney drivers during pandemic

The Jeepney Drivers and their Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study in the Philippines

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The influence of study attitudes and study habits on the academic performance of the students

Self-efficacy and it’s influence on the academic performance of the senior high school students, academic stress, academic motivation, and its relationship on the academic performance of the senior high school students, students’ personality, self-efficacy, and its impact on the academic performance of the senior high school students, the influence of study attitudes and study habits on the academic performance of the students, the demographic profile of the residents of the partner community of st. paul college of bocaue: a basis for community action program, related papers (5), the lived experience of filipino registered nurses seeking to migrate overseas, the nowhere people: lived experiences of migrant workers during covid-19 in india., a study investigating common experiences amongst chinese, indian and filipino migrant health workers in aotearoa/new zealand, relinquishing a driver’s licence, perceived consequences of extended social isolation on mental well-being: narratives from indonesian university students during the covid-19 pandemic, trending questions (3).

Jeepneys are vital in Filipino communities, serving as a cultural icon and essential mode of transportation, providing access to employment, healthcare, and community resources, enriching social connections and daily life.

Jeepney drivers are vital in Filipino society, providing essential transportation for daily life, employment, healthcare access, and cultural significance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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• DOI: 10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.14033339.V1
• Corpus ID: 245752438

The Jeepney Drivers and their Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study in the Philippines

• Jhoselle Tus
• Published 15 February 2021

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The jeepney as a microcosm of philippine society: the commuters perspectives, a mental workload assessment of jeepney drivers on the tanay-siniluan route in tanay, rizal, 8 references, the demographic profile of the residents of the partner community of st. paul college of bocaue: a basis for community action program, an assessment of the school culture and its impact on the academic performance of the students, the influence of study attitudes and study habits on the academic performance of the students, the learners' study habits and its relation on their academic performance, the impact of the personality traits on the academic achievement of the senior high school students, self-efficacy and it’s influence on the academic performance of the senior high school students, related papers.

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The Jeepney Drivers and their Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study in the Philippines

The majority of Filipinos rely on jeepneys or "Kings of the Road" as a transportation mode of Filipino daily lives. Public transportation provides mobility and access to employment, community resources, medical care, and recreational opportunities in communities across the Philippines. It benefits both of those people who have a vehicle and commuters because of the cheapest fare. Jeepneys show importance as a mode of transportation and an icon in Filipino cultures. The main objective of the study is to describe the lived experiences, challenges faced, and coping mechanisms of the Jeepney drivers during the pandemic. Moreover, the implications of the study were discussed, and recommendations were suggested.

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Editorial: Sustain traditional jeepney drivers

Is there life after 31 December 2023?

Under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP), yesterday was the deadline given for the holders of single franchises to consolidate under a cooperative or corporation.

Consolidation is argued to give members more leverage to buy modern PUVs, worth P2.8 million in September 2023. Under this setup, members can apply for loans for the purchase.

Those who failed to consolidate by the end of the year 2023 will have their permits to operate revoked.

Yet, the PUVMP faces criticism and resistance, particularly because the steep cost of a modern public utility jeepney (PUJ) puts this beyond the reach of many drivers and operators.

A traditional jeepney costs from P150,000 to P250,000, reported Rappler on Mar. 14, 2023.

Even with a government subsidy to cover the down payment for a bank loan, a loan to cover the more than P2 million approximate cost of a modern PUJ requires an amortization of P38,000-P40,000 per month for seven years.

These terms no longer make the acquisition of a modern PUV viable for many traditional jeepney operators and drivers, according to testimonies for a House hearing made by officials of the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Landbank of the Philippines, two government financial institutions issuing loans for the PUVMP.

Being saddled with this debt is inhuman for a jeepney driver who clears less than P500 a day, often in competition with modern bus-jeepneys (Beeps) and obstructions posed by heavy traffic and roadwork closures in urban centers.

Commuters posted their support for the traditional jeepney community on social media during the recent holiday.

Karla, a daily commuter who takes three rides in a one-way route from her residence in Lapu-Lapu City to her workplace in Cebu City, says that the PUVMP’s implementation of the first-phase consolidation in January 2024 means the loss of livelihood for thousands of traditional jeepney drivers and more uncertainties for their families, with many still struggling to recover from the pandemic lockdowns.

Karla doubts whether the PUVMP can absorb all the displaced drivers of traditional jeepneys and guarantee them a daily earning of P650, more than the usual take-home earning of a traditional PUJ driver.

“Unsa na man ilang panginabuhi (what will happen to their livelihood)?” she asks, pointing out that every person, from the richest to the poorest, requires a means to earn and provide a decent life for his or her dependents.

From the standpoint of the survival of jeepney drivers and their families, the PUVMP fails to offer viable alternatives that are not hinged on taking out a multi-million loan or consolidating and losing their single-proprietorship franchises to cooperatives and corporations.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development announced that displaced drivers and operators of traditional jeepneys can avail of financial assistance through the Assistance in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, reported the Philippine News Agency on Dec. 29, 2023.

After assessment by social workers, families affected by the PUVMP can avail themselves of food, cash aid and other forms of assistance.

However, the AICS is a one-time grant. Traditional jeepney drivers and their families resorted to living in their PUJs during the pandemic lockdowns because they had no savings to fall back on. Many members of the informal economy did not receive food and cash subsidies from local government units during two years of the lockdowns.

Seeking to balance ecological sustainability and economic survival, citizens urge the government to support operators and drivers of traditional PUJs in upgrading their units to become more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly. Upgrading will also be less costly than modernization.

The bottom line is that, for genuine development to take place, all stakeholders, especially the most affected—traditional jeepney drivers and their families—should benefit from innovations.

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A Push To Modernize Philippine Transport Threatens The Beloved Jeepney

Ashley Westerman

Jeepneys, often known in the Philippines as "King of the Road," join traffic on a busy street in Manila last May. Authorities are moving to phase them out, citing pollution and safety concerns. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Jeepneys, often known in the Philippines as "King of the Road," join traffic on a busy street in Manila last May. Authorities are moving to phase them out, citing pollution and safety concerns.

Down a dark, cramped alleyway in the heart of densely packed Manila, a resistance movement is holding strong.

The movement is focused on protecting a beloved Philippine form of public transport, the passenger truck known as the jeepney — but to reach its headquarters in a nearly hidden lane, it's a good idea to ditch your own vehicle. The lane is so narrow that even the slightest wrong move could result in scratches or a dislodged side-view mirror from hitting a wall.

Outside the office's metal gate is a beat-up jeepney with a sign reading: "Ibasura ang Jeepney Phaseout!" or "No To Jeepney Phaseout!"

Inside, George San Mateo sits eating his dinner. He's a warm, welcoming man sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee, glasses and a newsboy cap. San Mateo, 51, has been a driver for almost three decades and now heads the transport rights group Piston, short for Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide, or "unified nationwide organization of drivers and operators." It's in this role that he's leading the resistance to a government plan to "modernize" old jeepneys and replace them with newer, more eco-friendly models.

A jeepney adorned with eye-catching lettering sits parked in at a gas station in Calamba, Leguna, about an hour south of the capital Manila. Jeepneys often sport a name, phrase or symbol important to their driver. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

A jeepney adorned with eye-catching lettering sits parked in at a gas station in Calamba, Leguna, about an hour south of the capital Manila. Jeepneys often sport a name, phrase or symbol important to their driver.

"Piston has no problem with modernization because we consider ourselves progressive," San Mateo says. "We are progressive, so we are not anti-development. But the problem with the modernization program ...it is anti-poor and profit-oriented."

Jeepneys have become synonymous with Philippine daily life. The first were cobbled together using parts of surplus Jeeps left behind by American troops after World War II. The Filipinos converted them into transport vehicles that could hold between 15 to 20 people at a time (though not all those passengers may actually fit inside the vehicle).

George San Mateo is the leader of Piston, a nationwide transportation workers' rights group in the Philippines. He's called on President Rodrigo Duterte to scrap the current transport modernization plan and create a new one focusing on nationalizing transport. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

George San Mateo is the leader of Piston, a nationwide transportation workers' rights group in the Philippines. He's called on President Rodrigo Duterte to scrap the current transport modernization plan and create a new one focusing on nationalizing transport.

"The reason why jeepneys became the dominant mode of transport [is] because after World War II, the government did not establish a mass transport system," San Mateo explains.

Though numbers are hard to come by, various estimates say there are somewhere between 180,000 and 270,000 franchised jeepneys on the road across the Philippines, with some 75,000 in Metro Manila alone. Studies have shown they are the country's most popular mode of transportation, taking millions to and from work every day. They're easy to spot on the traffic-choked roads, often painted with bright colors and adorned with flashy ornaments. Many jeepneys sport names or slogans painted in big, elaborate fonts.

Passengers ride in a jeepney in Manila. Depending on the size, a jeepney can hold up to 20 people. While the vehicles have designated routes, they don't have designated stops, meaning riders hop on and hop off whenever they choose. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

Passengers ride in a jeepney in Manila. Depending on the size, a jeepney can hold up to 20 people. While the vehicles have designated routes, they don't have designated stops, meaning riders hop on and hop off whenever they choose.

The jeepneys are often blamed for heavy traffic congestion because of their indiscriminate stopping and going to let people on and off. They have designated routes but no designated stops, so they operate much like hop-on-hop-off buses.

And while jeepney bodies have changed over time (almost all parts are now made overseas and shipped to the Philippines to be assembled), the vehicles are notorious polluters. While jeepneys can run on both gasoline and diesel, a 2016 study by the Manila Observatory, a nonprofit science research institute, found that diesel-fed jeepneys were responsible for 15 percent of the particulate matter emissions in Metro Manila.

That's why the government of President Rodrigo Duterte plans to take all jeepneys 15 years or older off the roads and replace them with a more eco-friendly, minivan-like version that's bigger, safer and produces fewer emissions. The modernization plan started in January, and the government hopes to have all old jeepneys off the road by 2020.

But San Mateo says placing the blame for pollution solely on jeepneys is unfair in a city with so many other polluting vehicles. He says if the government didn't impose so many fees, fines and penalties on jeepney drivers and operators, they would have more money to maintain their sometimes dilapidated vehicles.

A jeepney crowned with the name "Morning Glory" navigates a Manila street during rush hour. Many jeepneys reach areas of the city where other public transit does not go. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

A jeepney crowned with the name "Morning Glory" navigates a Manila street during rush hour. Many jeepneys reach areas of the city where other public transit does not go.

In Metro Manila, a city of 12 million-plus and one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world, jeepneys are second only to walking when it comes to getting around. They're the cheapest option by far, with rides costing an average of 8 Filipino pisos, about 16 cents. Jeepneys are a popular option over the city's light rail system, taxis, commuter buses and even trikes — motorcycles with sidecars — across income levels, but especially for the poor. Despite a fast-growing economy, millions of Filipinos remain below the poverty line .

"Let us remember that jeepney commuters are some of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines," says Mateo. "Our vast passengers are not Uber-riding passengers, these are minimum-wage earners and their sons and daughters."

Jeepney drivers and operators don't earn a lot, either. San Mateo says a driver makes about 500 to 600 pisos, or about $11, for two days of work. Earnings depend on factors such as profitability of the route, passenger volume and seating capacity. San Mateo says top-of-the-line jeepneys today cost about 600,000 to 700,000 pisos, or $11,000 to $13,000. The new model the government wants them to purchase costs 1.6 million to 1.8 million pisos, or between $30,000 and $35,000.

San Mateo warns that the costs to run and maintain these newer models will be passed on to commuters in the form of increased fares.

"That's why there's a deadlock on this," says San Mateo. "So we have no choice but to fight back and launch transport strikes and transport protests."

Raffy Solongon (in rear-view mirror), 47, drives his jeepney through Makati City in Manila. He earns about $10 a day and is one of thousands of drivers who say they can't afford the new jeepney model the government wants them to buy. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

Raffy Solongon (in rear-view mirror), 47, drives his jeepney through Makati City in Manila. He earns about $10 a day and is one of thousands of drivers who say they can't afford the new jeepney model the government wants them to buy.

He wants President Duterte to scrap the current plan and work toward nationalizing the public transport system so drivers might get government help to buy or operate their jeepneys.

"What we want in a modernization program...[is] the framework should be socially just, democratic, public service-oriented and its long-term perspective should be nationalization of public transport," San Mateo says. "But government doesn't want that."

Last year, San Mateo helped organize two strikes: a jeepney drivers' strike in February, which San Mateo was arrested for leading , and a two-day, nationwide transport strike in October. The government has filed a case against San Mateo in connection with the October strike.

"You're poor?" Duterte snapped in a speech, addressing drivers during the October protests. "Son of a bitch, suffer hardship and hunger. I don't care."

Duterte's administration has rebuffed criticism that the plan is "anti-poor," and claims its goal is not to completely phase out jeepneys, but to make them more efficient and profitable. It wants to establish new routes with designated drop-off and load points and restructure and consolidate the ownership of jeepneys.

Riders seem split on the issue.

"It's better for the environment," says Win Tan, who rides a jeepney to work every day to her job as a car rental assistant. "But for the operators, it's not that good."

Cath Volentino is a tax consultant who has been riding jeepneys since she was a kid.

Jeepneys line up at a depot in Makati City in Manila. Jeepneys are the main mode of transportation for Filipinos nationwide, moving millions to and from work every day. Ashley Westerman/NPR hide caption

Jeepneys line up at a depot in Makati City in Manila. Jeepneys are the main mode of transportation for Filipinos nationwide, moving millions to and from work every day.

"The government is quite right that people need to have a better ride, but how about those jeepney drivers that can't afford to have a new jeepney?" she says. "It's okay if the government wants to provide for them, but it's quite a hassle."

Jose Gamo, who has also been riding jeepneys since he was a child, says the government's plan could lead to chaos for commuters.

"I think the government needs better time to help the jeepney operators adjust to the change, as well as help the commuters," he says. "Because if you phase out everything, there won't be enough new jeepneys immediately. So you need better planning for transition."

Gamo says he can't imagine a Manila without the jeepneys he knows and loves.

"It's going to be incredibly hard to get around anywhere," he says.

Back at Piston's headquarters, San Mateo says he and his fellow jeepney drivers have no intention of letting that happen.

"We are not yet giving up," he says, "so we are not yet entertaining a post-defeat scenario."

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Studies Say Traditional Open-Air Jeepneys Safer Vs COVID-19 Than Modernized Ones

Only modernized jeepneys have been allowed to ply Metro Manila’s streets beginning Monday (June 22), but experts believe traditional, open-air jeepneys are actually safer against the threat of COVID-19. 

Development NGO Ibon Foundation said the ban on traditional jeepneys should be lifted even as it claimed government officials are using the coronovairus pandemic as an excuse to run iconic vehicles off the road and fast-track what it calls the “ill-conceived” jeepney modernixation program.

Ibon cited studies  made by international organizations that found open-air transport may have advantages over enclosed, air-conditioned transport.

“Most coronavirus transmissions are acknowledged to occur via droplet infection, from coughing and sneezing, and partly through contaminated surfaces,” Ibon said in a media statement released Sunday. “Nonetheless, recent studies show that the number of pathogens increases considerably in enclosed spaces and that regular ventilation reduces the risk of infection. Despite physical distancing, enclosed modern jeepneys can become centers for spreading the virus compared to the natural ventilation of traditional jeepneys, said the group.” 

Researchers from both the University of Amsterdam and the Chinese Academny of Sciences said that virus particles in cough droplets can stay in the air on enclosed spaces “especially when poorly ventilated.”

Ibon also cited the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which  advises  “proper ventilation in [public transport] at all times” and “the use of windows [to] increase replacement with fresh air,” as well as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that released guidelines  for mass transit administrators, which include, among others, “[increasing] circulation of outdoor air as much as possible.”

All of this makes traditional open-air jeepneys preferable to modernized jeepneys in terms of helping curb the transmission of COVID-19.

“Yet the government’s narrow-minded focus on corporate-driven jeepney modernization threatens to forego this important built-in advantage in the mass transport system,” Ibon said. “The pandemic is being used to put thousands of jeepney drivers out of work and take traditional jeepneys permanently off the road in a brutal enforced phaseout.”

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had initially allowed 30 8 modernized jeepney units to service 15 routes in Metro Manila after they complied with the requirements set by the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines.

These moernized jeepneys must be equipped with a global navigation satellite system and be able to accommodate cashless fare payments.

Normal precuations must be observed by both drivers and passengers during the journey, including the wearing of face masks at all times and observing physical distancing inside the vehicle.

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Over 100,000 jeepney drivers still jobless due to pandemic

Seven months into lockdown, more than 100,000 drivers of traditional jeepneys are still jobless amid the current health crisis as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is yet to reopen their routes.

Mody Floranda, national president of transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON), said there are currently 260 routes covering 59,000 jeepneys that are still not allowed to ferry passengers again despite the relaxed community quarantine imposed in most areas.

According to Floranda, this equates to almost 118,000 drivers who are still left without a livelihood in the midst of the economic crisis and the pandemic.

Floranda reiterated his group's call for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the LTFRB to open all routes and allow all PUVs to operate, especially now that the demand for public transportation is high as many workers are continuously going back to their workplaces.

"Also, immediately implement the provision of assistance to drivers, operators, and citizens because even when we resume our operations, we still do not have enough income to meet the soaring commodity prices in the market," he said in Filipino.

The transport group leader also urged the government to implement a rehabilitation program for PUVs in place of the PUVMP and to really address the needs of the riding public.

"Ang nais lamang namin ay makapagbigay-serbisyo sa mga manggagawa at komyuter na araw-araw nahihirapan maghanap ng masasakyan dahil sa hindi makatuwirang pagbabawal ng gobyerno. Hindi na lamang po ito usapin ng aming kabuhayan kundi ng papel ng pampublikong transportasyon upang makatulong sa nagaagaw-buhay nating ekonomiy," Floranda emphasized.

(We just want to serve the workers and commuters who are having difficulty in finding vehicles every day due to unreasonable government bans. This is no longer just a matter of our livelihood but of the role of public transportation to help our dying economy.)

He also recognized the successful protest action held by members of PISTON in Caloocan last June, which he said has moved the government to start opening more PUV routes, especially in Metro Manila.

The transport sector has been among the hardest-hit by the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine mid-March which mandated a suspension on all forms of public transportation, cutting the main source of income of thousands of PUV drivers and operators and left many of them begging in the streets for money and food.

When travel restrictions have been lifted during the general community quarantine (GCQ) in June, traditional jeepneys were the last to resume operations among mass transport options.

The LTFRB explained that traditional PUJs are placed at the bottom of the "hierarchy" of public transport due to its limited capacity and lack of contactless payment features required for the "new normal" in the transportation sector.

Based on the latest data from the LTFRB, the Board has so far approved more than 85,000 units of various PUVs since the enforcement of GCQ which allowed public transport to return on the roads after months of hard lockdown.

This includes the 865 modern PUJs to ply 48 routes; 4,447 public utility buses in 34 routes; 305 provincial buses in 14 routes; 387 point-to-point buses in 34 routes.

The transport regulatory body also approved a total of 20,964 taxi and 25,068 Transport Network Vehicles Services (TNVS) units to ferry passengers in the capital region.

Philippines Jeepney strike drives home modernisation concerns

President instructs agencies to reconsider proposals amid concerns about the effect on drivers’ livelihoods.

Manila, Philippines – Some 100,000 jeepney drivers in the Philippines have ended a strike over government plans to phase out one of the country’s most ubiquitous but polluting forms of public transport amid hopes the initiative will be changed.

Transport unions Piston and Manibela began the action on March 6, prompting schools in Metro Manila and many other areas to move teaching online and other businesses to work from home.

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Jeepneys , which originated at the end of World War II when enterprising Filipinos repurposed old jeeps left by the United States army into public minibuses able to carry as many as 25 people at a time, are today the cheapest and most common form of commuter transport in the country.

The roads in Manila were noticeably quieter as Piston declared that 90 percent of the capital’s jeepney routes had been suspended. It was a similar situation elsewhere in the country.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which is overseeing the government plan, downplayed the impact of the strike. On Tuesday, however, union leaders were called to the presidential palace for a closed-door meeting.

Speaking on Wednesday, Manibela’s Chairman Mar Valbuena said drivers would “hold onto the statement of our beloved President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr that the administration is open to studying and revising the (plan) to maintain the livelihood of drivers and operators”.

At issue is the PUV Modernisation Programme (PUVMP) , which was first announced in 2017 and includes replacing diesel-based jeepneys that are 15 or more years old with newer, cleaner minibuses, as well as the consolidation of operators and drivers into cooperatives.

The LTFRB initially declared April 1 would be the “last trip” for the older vehicles but amid strong opposition from transport groups, it moved the deadline to June and, finally, to December 31. After that, jeepneys that have not complied with the PUVMP will be banned.

“An execution is still an execution if you just move the date,” Piston Chairperson Modesto Floranda told Al Jazeera. “The government is massacring our livelihood.”

‘Kings of the road’

Jeepneys are dubbed the ‘kings of the road’ and their drivers work through franchises based on a licence to operate provided by the government.

A franchise holder usually owns at least one jeepney and often hires several drivers who ply the route in shifts. Under the PUVMP, drivers and owners will have to form a cooperative, which government officials say will improve efficiency.

According to the LTFRB, there are about 158,000 traditional jeepneys in the country, while 5,300 modern jeepneys with air conditioning and security cameras are already on the road.

Piston, the transport union, says the cost of modernisation is too steep.

Drivers are required to shoulder costs of up to 2.8 million Philippine pesos ($50,800) to replace their vehicles and will need enough for at least 15 vehicles to start a cooperative. Meanwhile, the government is only offering to subsidise 5.7 percent of each new vehicle and many drivers fear they will lose their livelihood unit.

“Who would not want a more efficient and comfortable vehicle? We earn barely enough to survive. We’d like a modernisation that caters to the needs of the transport sector. But this is modernisation that favours big business and is a bane to the commuting public as well,” said Floranda.

Floranda says more expensive jeepney models will inevitably lead drivers to increase fares just so they can pay off debts and other operational expenses.

A recent study by the University of the Philippines estimated minimum jeepney fares could rise by 300 percent as a result of the PUVMP.

The study warned of two “’blind sides’: the high price per unit of the modern jeepney and the domino effect of a possible jeepney fare hike to cover the cost of purchasing modern jeepney units”.

It said fare increases would probably lead to higher living costs as it would become more expensive to move food and other necessities.

The jeepney drivers taking part in the strike have labelled the programme a “corporate takeover” because modern jeepneys mean partnering with foreign carmakers such as Hino Toyota, Hyundai and Fuso Mitsubishi.

Struggle to survive

A few days before the strike, jeepney driver Juny Bendoy circled his route for 16 hours instead of the usual 12 just to ensure he had enough money to see him through the industrial action.

Bendoy, the vice president of the Novaliches Transport Coalition, one of the biggest in Metro Manila, called his extra hours a “necessary sacrifice”.

“Why are they forcing us into an impossible position?” Bendoy said. “We’ve been through so much, they are not letting up in making our lives harder.”

Drivers say they have struggled with barely any help from the government during the pandemic, when jeepneys were banned from the roads for more than a year, as well as with the successive fuel price hikes.

“And now we have to contend with the phase-out. We don’t have any days off. We keep our eyes open because the moment we close them, our jeepneys might be taken from us,” Bendoy told Al Jazeera.

On average, Bendoy brings home $3.6 a day after expenses, not nearly enough to save for modernisation, which he says will “bury us in debt”.

Nick Ventura, 43, an officer at the Novaliches-Blumentritt Operators and Drivers Association, declined to join a franchise cooperative when he moved back to the Philippines after working as a driver in Qatar.

“I came back to the country because I was told there was a better programme for us drivers. But I couldn’t afford the downpayment. I also couldn’t wait around for seven months for the new unit to arrive. And I didn’t think that a daily boundary of 2,500 Philippine pesos ($45) was acceptable. That would mean I’d have to work for nearly 24 hours just to take home a decent amount,” he said.

Drivers currently pay a quota fee or “boundary” to the jeepney owner so they can drive the vehicle. For Ventura, this fee is $9. While the drivers do not get a wage, they get to keep whatever is left after paying the quota and paying for fuel.

Under the new system, they will be paid a daily wage but will still have to pay a quota, depending on the route. Piston says drivers are reluctant to engage with the system because wages will be low while quotas will be high.

In the run-up to the presidential election in 2022, then-candidate Marcos Jr promised that he would back the interests of drivers, winning their support for his campaign.

Now that he is in office, some feel they have been misled.

“He broke his promise. He told us that as long as our vehicles passed the emissions testing, we would be able to provide a public service,” said Ventura.

Ahead of the strike, Marcos told reporters that while he still favoured modernisation, he did not think it was being “implemented well”.

He also appealed to Piston and Manibela to reconsider for the sake of commuters. “More people will suffer because they cannot go to work,” he said.

Meanwhile, there are moves in the upper house on a resolution to postpone the phase-out plans.

“The LTFRB should not coerce PUV operators into complying with their guidelines without addressing the sector’s concerns, particularly on the high capital costs of acquiring modern jeepneys,” said Senator Grace Poe, who is leading the resolution.

After the presidential meeting, Marcos Jr instructed officials to look at the plan again to “ensure a better implementation of the PUVMP and emphasise that the programme centres on drivers, operators and commuters especially”.

He insisted there would be no change to the deadline.

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Jeepney drivers beg for help on Metro Manila's roads amid pandemic

Forced off the road by lockdowns, jeepney driver Daniel Flores now plies the streets of Manila on foot begging for money to feed his hungry family.

The 23-year-old has not picked up a passenger since March when public transport was halted and people ordered to stay home as President Rodrigo Duterte's government tried to slow the fast-spreading contagion.

Jeepneys—first made from leftover US jeeps after World War II—are a national symbol in the Philippines, and serve as the backbone of the country's transport system, providing rides for millions of people across the country for as little as P9 ($0.18).

But drivers like Flores, and millions of others, are out of work after the months-long restrictions crippled the economy, plunging it into recession.

With no income and debts piling up, Flores started living in the jeepney with his wife, two of his children and a fellow driver after they were evicted from their apartment because they could no longer pay the rent.

Instead of sitting behind the wheel, Flores has spent many days begging for alms just to get by.

Other drivers carry plastic containers and cardboard signs around their necks to catch the attention and sympathy of passing motorists.

"We have absolutely nothing left to spend," Flores told AFP as he sat inside his jeepney, parked in a street and crammed with cooking pots, clothes and other humble possessions.

A sign asking for help from passers-by sits on top of the vehicle, which his empathetic boss has loaned him. 

Flattened cardboard boxes cover the side windows and rear entrance to give the family some privacy—and a feeling of protection from the virus they fear is lurking outside. 

As the number of confirmed infections in the Philippines  surges past 160,000 —the highest in Southeast Asia—and Manila endures another lockdown, Flores has no idea when he will be allowed to drive again.

He occasionally picks up odd jobs selling scrap metal, painting or welding. But it is not enough to feed his family.

"Often we will eat just once a day. Sometimes, if no one helps us, we don't eat at all," Flores said. 

So dire is their predicament the couple sent their seven-month-old baby to live with relatives outside Manila to ease pressure on themselves and ensure the child gets enough food.

'Growling stomachs'

Sesinando Bondoc, 73, started driving a jeepney when he was 28 and at his age finding another job seems impossible.

Standing on the side of a busy road in sweltering heat with other drivers asking for money, Bondoc says the desire to eat overrides his fear of the virus or speeding cars.  

"One time we were almost hit by a car but we don't really have a choice. We have to leave our homes and take our chances in the streets just to have something in our growling stomachs," Bondoc said, his voice cracking as he fought back tears.

Drivers have received some money and food handouts from the government. But it does not make up for their lost income.

In June, six jeepney drivers were arrested by police for allegedly violating a ban on mass gatherings and rules on social distancing after they protested over the loss of their livelihoods. They were later released on bail .

Even when the initial lockdown restrictions in Manila were eased in June only a fraction of the city's roughly 55,000 jeepneys were allowed to operate under strict rules.

Drivers had to make their vehicles virus-safe by installing plastic seat dividers and reducing capacity to comply with social-distancing regulations.

Those used to pocketing as much as P1,500 a day had to settle for much smaller takings.

Then the modified enhanced community quarantine, a new lockdown imposed nearly two weeks ago in Manila and four surrounding provinces—home to a quarter of the country's population,—forced those lucky few off the road.

Some are worried they may never drive again as the government phases out smoke-belching jeepneys that are 15 years or older.

The program to modernize the vehicles was due to finish this year. The government has not announced if the deadline will be extended.

Renato Gandas, 57, who has been a driver for 30 years, said the owner of his vehicle had already sold a jeepney due to the phasing-out program and the lockdowns. With his livelihood at risk, Gandas is losing hope.

"We might just beg for alms for the rest of our lives," he said. —Agence France-Presse

Helping jeepney drivers plying UP navigate the COVID-19 pandemic | ABS-CBN News

Helping jeepney drivers plying UP navigate the COVID-19 pandemic

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