Nicole Ann Cabrera | January 20, 2021
Now that their primary customers, students, shift to online learning, street vendors and tricycle drivers have still taken extra measures to run their businesses.
CEMBO, Makati – Some street vendors ventured into online selling and selling additional goods while tricycle drivers extended their working hours to have extra income.
Both sectors have been predicted to be highly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis according to International Labour Organization in 2020 (SEE: publication for more information). The current situation has proved this by the transportation and food service sector in barangay Cembo.
Effects of the shift to online learning to the tricycle drivers in Cembo, Makati City
Kagawad Kalmi shared the struggles of the tricycle drivers under his leadership in Cembo, Makati City in an interview on October 26, 2021 via Zoom. The income of tricycle drivers went down to Php 100 a day from Php 1,500 a day before the pandemic.
Some tricycle drivers opt to stay until 10 PM, curfew hours, just to cater to passengers. However, some passengers choose to walk, and only a few workers go to their offices as some work from their homes.
Aside from extra working hours, some drivers apply to be riders in delivery-servicing companies such as Grab, where they earn much more. Others work as riders at night after working as tricycle drivers, while others work as full-time riders.
In Quezon City, foodpanda expanded its project, pandaTODA, last May 2020 to help and support tricycle drivers and their families in the city.
The pandemic has also brought anxiety to tricycle drivers because they are exposed to passengers everyday unaware of the presence of the virus.
“Our biggest problem now is that we don’t know if our passengers have COVID or none.”
Joseph Gariquez, tricycle driver for 6 years in Cembo
The situation of Cembo drivers reflected how the situation of the transportation sector in our country. (SEE: article to know more about the condition of tricycle drivers in our country)
Effects of the shift to online learning to the street vendors in Cembo, Makati City
Street vendors also have their struggles with their income and sidewalk clearing.
Vanessa Manzano, a street vendor for 17 years now, shared how her income decreased by 75% because of the pandemic in a call last December 3, 2021. Her fellow street vendors also experienced the worry of sidewalk clearing because some street vendors are in the streets, and they have no permanent stalls.
Manzano also shared how she sacrificed not increasing the price of her street foods whenever the prices of raw ingredients increase. She decided to sell ready-to-wear and beauty products to increase her income. She also ventured to online food selling on a public Facebook page of Cembo where she and her fellow vendors post foods and products they sell.
Student customers of Manzano shared how they miss her street foods and how this brings memories to them during the face-to-face classes in a crowdsourcing post last October 20, 2021.
Actions of the LGU for these businesses
The local government unit has extended help to its residents that also helped these businesses. Both Kagawad Boregas, and Manzano mentioned the annual Pamaskong Handog of Makati City to its residents. Also, cash assistance of Php 5,000 is given to Makatizen cardholders. (SEE: FAQs on the program for more details)
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