Jeepney

There is no doubt the government needs to push through with the jeepney modernization program.

The riding public certainly deserves better transportation than these decrepit, smoke-belching and outdated vehicles. It would also be good for the environment if we have vehicles with cleaner fuel plying the streets of Metro Manila and beyond.

Perhaps, those pushing to retain the jeepneys as they are haven’t really tried how difficult it is to ride the jeeps to get from one place to another; don’t really care about passengers’ safety and convenience; are benefitting from the jeepney business or are merely using the affected drivers for their propaganda.

Development is the natural course of society. It is about improving the well-being of every individual so they can reach their full potential. It’s the same reason why we no longer live in bahay kubos or don’t use kalesas anymore.

Bastardization

The problem with jeepney modernization, however, is not the intention but the glaring and shameless bastardization of the jeeps in favor of big business, the suppliers, at a cost the drivers can’t afford.

It is no doubt a hasty, supply-driven solution being shoved down the throats of our hapless drivers, a lot of whom live hand to mouth.

It’s exactly how we try to solve problems here in the Philippines – implement solutions now, pay for the consequences later.

An 80-year-old system certainly needs more time to be phased out or changed. This is a system with so many moving parts – 600,000 drivers for instance.

A one-size-fits-all phase-out is simply not doable because each city or municipality in the country has different needs.

The government should come up with a new blueprint on how to implement the modernization – to be done in phases; responsive to the needs of each city or municipality and doable for the drivers. They must be able to afford it. If not, the government or the supplier must subsidize it.

The suppliers have better chances of recovering the subsidies than the drivers who are forced to shell out big money to join a cooperative that would enable them to acquire modern jeeps.

And you know what would really work? A better, more efficient mass transport system, in addition to our existing rail systems.

Farm vehicles

A reader, Alex Serrano, also suggested an alternative on how to “retire the jeepney with dignity.”

“Could it be possible for the jeepneys, with the help of car companies, to be converted into electric powered farm transport vehicles nationwide?” he suggested.

Creating a diverse and inclusive society

For sure, our government must look at inclusive and sustainable answers to our jeepney problem.

What will happen to the affected jeepney drivers? Is there a program for those who cannot afford to shift to the new system? Some are senior citizens already.

We all know that here in the Philippines, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) are subject to biases, most especially in the workplace. It really should not be the case.

I’ve talked to some of these jeepney drivers, some of them resort to begging for alms because they lost their means of living during the pandemic. They are senior citizens but they still can still work if only they can afford joining modern jeep cooperatives.

Senior citizens and PWDs

Speaking of senior citizens, it’s good that Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes Jr. proposed House Bill 3220 in 2022. If approved, the measure will repeal a provision in the Labor Code that sets the compulsory retirement age in the country at 65 years.

According to the proposed bill, an employee who reaches 65 years “can choose to continue their employment” provided that the senior citizen “qualifies under the bona fide occupational qualifications of his job.”

Look at Japan for example. Through its Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers (JEED), it seeks to realize a society in which everyone, regardless of age or disability, can exercise their skills and work with motivation and peace of mind.

I hope the government and the private sector will foster such inclusivity in our society.

One example worth mentioning is the Jollibee Group, which recently renewed its partnership with the city government of Manila for employment opportunities for senior citizens and PWDs in Jollibee-owned stores across Manila City.

The company’s employment program will hire 28 senior citizens and 17 PWDs as customer relations staff across the Manila branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich and Burger King through the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO).

This started in 2019 when the Jollibee Group partnered with the Manila LGU in providing jobs to over a hundred qualified senior citizens and PWDs in the combined 39 branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Mang Inasal and Greenwich in Manila.

I witnessed this back then when I interviewed, through an interpreter, a deaf mute employee working in Jollibee and her husband, also a deaf mute, who in turn was working in Greenwich. They were happy to be given the chance to work like the rest of the population.

A first

Indeed, the elderly and differently abled individuals have appreciated the opportunity to find gainful employment, said Ruth Angeles, Jollibee Group vice president and head for Human Resources-Philippines and Global Organization, Leadership & Culture.

I hope other companies and LGUs will follow. Such efforts can help uplift more lives and create a more sustainable world.

Going back to the jeepneys, there are indeed better, more creative and inclusive ways to address our jeepney problem and hopefully, just like the ubiquitous jeep itself, the final solution will get us from here to there with nobody left behind.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.