Tricycle drivers grapple with reduced earnings; some skip meals
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) – Tricycle drivers along Matina Crossing are grappling with reduced daily earnings as rising fuel prices drive up operating costs, forcing some of them to skip meals.
Teodoro Urdaneta, 70, brings home as little as ₱65 to ₱70 a day after paying for fuel and rental of his tricycle.
A driver for 30 years now, Urdaneta works from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. and used to take home P300 a day. But this was before the February 28 conflict in the Middle East triggered a global oil crisis.
These days, Urdaneta gets into arguments with his wife for bringing home meager earnings. The Teodoros have no children. His 67-year-old wife works as an on-call laundrywoman and earns ₱300 each load of laundry.
Teodoro is among the many tricycle drivers taking advantage of the foot traffic in busy Matina Crossing. At the time of the interview, MindaNews saw 15 to 20 tricycles awaiting passengers in the terminal
He said he sometimes skips meals or settles for cheaper food — spending only ₱30 to ₱40 — to save money.
“Usahay di nako maniudto, mag pan na lang ko tungod sa kamahal sa gasolina (Sometimes I skip lunch and settle for bread because of the high cost of gasoline)” he said.
Urdaneta pays ₱160 daily for tricycle rental.
Like Urdaneta, other drivers say the increase in fuel prices has made it difficult to support their families and meet daily expenses.
On Tuesday, the price adjustment was at P8 to P12 per liter, bringing the pump price at P82.60 to P112.40 per liter.
For diesel, the price increase stood at P15 to P18 per liter, bringing its pump price at P107 to P134.30, while diesel plus price ranges from P114.99 to P144.20 per liter.
Jojo Tagoc, 50, president of the Matina Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (MATRIODA), said drivers who rent units are among the most affected.
“Ang looy ani katong nag renta gyud kay mag renta pa sila, mo tubil pa. (Those who pay daily rental for the tricycles are most affected because they also shoulder the fuel cost).
Another driver, Junjun Orpina, says his income has dropped sharply, from P700 daily last month to only around P200 now.
The 52-year-old driver, married with two children, is the breadwinner of his family. His fuel expenses were around ₱250 a day in previous weeks. These days, he spends P400 to P500 for fuel every day. Orpina also has to shell out ₱200 per day for the rent of his unit.
His wife works as an on-call babysitter and earns 200 pesos per day.
His earnings now can hardly buy bugas mais (corn grits). Orpina says sometimes they eat only bugas mais or cook it as porridge.
Urdaneta, Tagoc and Orpina hope government will give them assistance during this crisis.
On Tuesday, March 24, during a media interview at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Michael Ybañez and the Tricycle Alliance of Davao City told reporters they are proposing to increase the minimum fare from ₱10 to ₱20, plus ₱5 per kilometer, due to rising fuel costs and inflation that affect drivers’ income.
Some Matrioda drivers MindaNews earlier interviewed said they do not want a fare increase because it would affect their earnings as passengers may opt to walk instead of ride.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier said tricycle drivers are included in the fuel subsidy program, according to a report by GMA News.
The LTFRB has started distributing fuel subsidies in Northern Mindanao to help public transport drivers cope with rising fuel costs while expanding its services in the region according to a report from the Daily Tribune.
In the Davao region, officials of the regional offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD, LTFRB and Land Transportation Office in a coordination meeting on March 18 discussed the implementation of Cash Relief Assistance for drivers in the transport sector to ensure proper and systematic payout to beneficiaries. (Melody Tagnipis and Rovic Lloyd Buot / DOrSU Interns)
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