The government is studying the possibility of giving another round of cash assistance to the jeepney drivers affected by the general community quarantine, Malacañang said Thursday.
President Rodrigo Duterte promised the cash aid after thousands of jeepney drivers were not allowed to ply their regular routes under the GCQ.
“We are studying to give a third-month cash assistance to the jeepney drivers who have lost their jobs because our jeepneys have not been allowed to run,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.
Under the government’s cash assistance program, some 18 million families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will be given P5,000 to 8,000 for the months of April and May.
“We know that this is really difficult for them because they are not allowed to operate. So we are now preparing an additional cash aid just for them,” Roque said.
He said the jeepneys will not return anytime soon because of the impossibility of implementing physical distancing in them.
Roque said the government will do everything to help jeepney drivers if the traditional jeepneys are phased out as a result of the government’s modernization program.
“As we phase out the old jeepneys, we have to allow the new jeepneys to come in,” Roque said.
“We’re actually considering alternative livelihoods for them. There is a suggestion that they be employed as contact tracers because we do need about 120,000 of them. there’s only about 30,000 employed so far.”
A legislator, meanwhile, on Thursday urged the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow public utility vehicles to operate again, but with certain restrictions for the safety of passengers.
“We have seen hundreds of thousands of passengers either stranded or resorting to motorcycles, bicycles or even walking due to the lack of public transport a few days after the downgrading to general community quaratine,” Rep. Manuel Cabochan said.
“Commuters are desperately waiting for a ride to their destinations. The restriction on the operation of buses and jeepneys has caused chaos and did not lower the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
“Instead, it has caused more people to crowd while scampering to get on the limited number of government vehicles fielded to fill the void. Both social distancing and safety protocols were not observed.”
Cabochan said the banning of buses and jeepneys not only greatly inconvenienced commuters but also the drivers and other transport personnel who lost their income.