The salary of public utility jeepney drivers under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (Tupad) will be released in three batches.
The drivers will receive their salaries from March 25-31, April 1-15, and April 16-30.
Mayor Sara Duterte on Tuesday said there are 2,925 PUJ drivers enrolled in the Tupad program and they will receive the P396 daily salary in three batches, instead of following the standard 15-30 schedule.
“[B]ecause I understand we have a lot of drivers that they are working everyday to earn money,” Duterte said.
The drivers enrolled in the program were given the job of primarily implementing the social distancing in ferrying passengers in the city, the proper wearing of mask in the PUJ, and as well as the disinfection and sanitation of their vehicles.
Duterte also bared that there are 108 PUJ drivers who are not under the Tupad program but were privately hired as jeepney drivers through the City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO).
“They will deliver and pick-up the hot meal containers and some of them will be taking rounds in the city with sound system attached on their vehicles, which will serve as a platform of information dissemination (on COVID-19),” Mayor Duterte said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte lauded the effort of the Drivers United for Mass Progress and Equal Rights (DUMPER) Partylist for providing assistance to some of the tricycle drivers in the city.
“They have prepared assistance for the tricycle drivers,” Duterte said, noting that the assistance was given to drivers in the portions of the second district and some tricycle drivers in the third district.
Duterte, however, said not everybody is given such aid because of the limited budget.
“But even so, even if they cannot provide for everyone, we are very thankful because they were able to give something to our tricycle drivers,” Mayor Duterte said.
