Only 3,000 public utility jeepney drivers (PUJ) can avail of the financial aid provided by the city government.
On Wednesday, Mayor Sara Duterte bared that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will be providing PUJ drivers P11,880 per month to cushion the impact of social distancing to their income.
This means that jeepney drivers are only allowed to have half of their normal seating capacity. She said this aid will be provided to them until the public health emergency is lifted.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), in its memorandum, has mandated all public transportation including UV vans, buses, PUJs, and taxis to observe social distancing as precautionary measures against the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Duterte has ordered drivers to enroll at DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) so that they can avail of this aid.
Under the TUPAD program, enrollees should work for 30 days before acquiring the assistance.
Norman Baloro, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Mindanao commissioner and TUPAD officer-in-charge/spokesperson, said in an interview on Thursday, that the “first come, first serve” basis will be implemented.
He also said that DOLE was able to download funds in the amount of P72 million on December last year. He said this fund is intended for displaced and disadvantaged Davaoeños.
He also bared that a total of P35,640,000 has been allocated by DOLE to compensate the affected PUJ drivers.
Baloro stressed that in order to get the compensation service, they should also work for it.
“You have to work to get paid, or else you will not receive the assistance,” he said.
Aside from DOLE’s TUPAD program, Baloro said these drivers will automatically be enrolled to the state of pension fund under the Government Service Insurance System.
He added that PUJ drivers should also operate or drive on a specific time. This will be a mandate since their attendance will be monitored by the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO).
“We have to make sure that in every route, there are PUJs who will be operating to not jeopardize the daily living of the people,” he said.
He also said that they already prepared proposals on the extension of this service if this pandemic will last long. He said that “we can go beyond if this is really a call of urgency.”
Meanwhile, CTTMO chief Dionisio Abude said that drivers will be penalized if they are caught violating the social distancing mandate of the DOTr. Drivers will be penalized with P5,000 on first offense, P10,000 for second offense, and franchise suspension for third offense. Drivers can get their application form for this program at their main office and satellite offices.
For the application process, applicants must prepare one piece of 1×1 identification picture (for TUPAD ID), and one piece of 2×2 ID picture (to be attached to file). They should also have a Certificate of Underemployment, one photocopy of Community tax or Cedula, a photocopy of an Accident Insurance Receipt, and a photocopy of their driver’s license. They should also make sure that they are registered under CTTMO and the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
There are also orientations to be conducted. “(Applicants) should know the scheduled date for orientation from CTTMO upon the submission of the photocopy of their driver’s license,” Abude said.
It was also mentioned on the procedure guidelines that “drivers who have given the application form shall fill out the same, attend scheduled orientations, and submit the said form during the orientation. No walk-ins will be allowed, or no application form-no entry during the orientation.”
After the orientation, the guidelines said that it will be considered as the first day of work with pay for the accepted drivers. A master list will be provided by CTTMO and shall generate a Certificate of Underemployment to all driver-beneficiaries.
CTTMO has also bared the maximum number of drivers per route:
350 each for Toril area and Calinan/Tugbok/Mintal/Guianga area;
150 each for SM Ecoland, Route 4 and Route 10;
100 each for Sasa via JP Laurel and Sasa via R. Castillo, Ma-a;
70 each for Buhangin via J.P. Laurel and Panabo;
50 each for Bangkal, Catitipan via JP Laurel, Deca Tacunan, El Rio, Mandug/Callawa, Matina Aplaya, Matina/Matina Pangi, Route 2, Panacan via Buhangin and Panacan-SM;
49 for Talomo;
44 for Catalunan Grande;
40 each for Ulas, Acacia, Bo. Obrero and Indangan;
30 each for Route 5, Route 6, and Tibungo via Buhangin, Bago Aplaya, Bunawan via Buhangin, Bunawan via Sasa, Cabantian, Lasang via Buhangin, Panacan via J.P. Laurel, Route 11, Puan;
25 for Jade Valley;
20 each for Buhangin via Dacudao, Catitipan via Dacudao, Tibungco via R. Castillo, and Route 13, Emily Homes;
15 each for Brgy. Communal, Landmark, Lasang via Sasa, and Magtuod, Route 3, Route 8, and Tibungco via Cabaguio;
Ten each for Langub and Doña Pilar and five for Country Homes.
All drivers should comply to the mandates, especially on social distancing.
