FOOD AID. Joanne Bondoc, asst. mall manager of SM City Cabanatuan (right) and Nelson Santos (left) hand over Kalinga packs to tricycle drivers.
CABANATUAN CITY –– With two kids, aged 12 and 5, life has never been this hard for female tricycle driver, Kiell Sebastian, of Barangay MS Garcia here.
“Sobrang hirap. Wala kaming panggastos araw-araw,” she said even as she, like some tricycle drivers, plies this city with a special permit under the lighter community quarantine.
“Kahit pumapasada na po ay kakaunti naman ang pasahero ngayon,” said Sebastian, adding that a P200 net for the day has become their average income since June.
Alfredo Padilla, a senior citizen who operates a public utility jeepney from this city to Gen. Tinio town (Papaya Transport Service Coop.) said he is now earning a measly P400 every other day as a result of the pandemic.
Only a select number of their members are permitted to ply their route.
They used to earn P1,300 a day, Padilla said, lamenting: “Napakalaking epekto sa amin ng pandemyang ito. Lalo na sa nakikipamasada lang.“
Sebastian and Padilla were among the members of the public transport sector adversely affected by the coronavirus disease pandemic who benefited from the 738 Kalinga packs from the SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) and SM City Cabanatuan on Tuesday.
The beneficiaries included drivers from Papaya Transport Services Inc., Zaragoza Ramstar Transport, Bojoda Prime Movers Cooperative, Rapok JODACabanatuan, Quezon JODA Inc., Penaranda Cabanatuan City Operators and Driver Assoc., Cabanatuan City Loop Service JODA Inc., and SM City Cabanatuan TODA Inc.
Each Kalinga packs comprised 5kg of rice and food essentials that will support the basic needs of local drivers. This effort forms part of Operation Tulong Express, a program of SM Foundation in collaboration with SM Supermalls and SM Markets to address the needs of communities during calamities and crisis.
Sebastian said the gift packs will ensure her family of food for at least six days: “. “Napakalaking tulong po nito sa amin.“
