ILOILO – Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers have never felt so hopeless.
Today, the prices of fuel would increase for the 11th time this year – about P12 more per liter for diesel and around P7 more for gasoline. And drivers couldn’t do anything to stop it.
The increases are eating on their daily income. Some are thinking of stopping driving, but how fast could they find another job?
Joel Convocar, a taxi driver for over five years now, says his daily earnings of what used to be between P400 and P500 have plummeted to barely P300.
“Sakit gid. Ang amon kontani dal-on sa pamilya, sa gasolina pa makadto,” Convocar tells Panay News.
He fears that his P300 daily earnings would further shrink this week.
“Mapahuway na lang ko siguro kon magtaas na gid kag balik naman kon mag-okay na,” says Convocar.
Taxi driver Ryan Alba tells Panay News he now spends P1,000 daily for fuel – from the usual P750 – and pays his taxi rent of P600 each day, too.
He fears not being able to raise enough money for his fuel and taxi rent anymore, or bring home some to his family due to the incessant fuel price increases.
Shifting to another job has now become a prospect.
“Wala ta mahimu kay amo na. Mabal-an ta lang ina bwas kon ano ang epekto. Subong P200 asta P300 lang ang madala ko sa balay. Ti kon magsaka pa, basi wala na gid. Kon wala na gid, ti mangita ta iban nga obra,” says Alba.
For his part, Bebot Guilab, driver of an Ungka CPU route passenger jeepney, is appealing for subsidy from the national government.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said over the weekend it had started preparations with state-run Land Bank of the Philippines for the release of the subsidies.
There have been reports it would be P6,500 per driver or jeepney unit.
“Subong ang kita ko P300 lang. Kis-a P200 lang gani, isa lang ka gantang nga bugas ang mabakal. Ti, kon magsaka pa gid ang presyo sang fuel ano pa ayhan,” says Guilab.
For Ungka ITGSI – SM City-Highway jeepney driver Val Camarig and Ricky Basquez, it’s like being caught between a rock and a hard place.
They say they couldn’t quit driving because this is their only livelihood. If they stop, even if temporarily, what will they feed their families, they ask.
At his age, adds Camarig, he may find it very difficult to land another job.
In a Senate hearing yesterday in Quezon City, the Department of Finance (DOF) revealed it is eyeing up to P20.3 billion “war chest” that the national government can funnel as fuel subsidy to critical sectors – primarily to PUV drivers as well as farmers and fishermen./PN
