TAGALOG
Sa loob ng halos ilang buwan, ngayon nalang ulit ako nakapagsulat ng artikulo dito sa Hive nang gumagamit ng wikang tagalog. Sa totoo lang, halos ilang araw ko ding iniisip kung paano ‘to sisimulan dahil aminado akong mahirap bumalik sa kinagisnan kung nasanay kana sa wikang banyaga. Ikaw ba naman ang magsulat at makipag-usap nang Ingles halos araw-araw at talagang masasanay ka. Ngayong araw, salamat sa prompt na binigay ni kuya @tpkidkai at muli kong masusubukang maglabas ng aking mga ideya sa wikang tagalog.
Dahil sa napipintong pag-phaseout ng mga lumang jeep upang magbigay daan sa plano ng gobyerno na gawing moderno ang mga pampublikong sasakyan, hayaan nyo akong magbahagi ng kuro-kuro at ilang kwento ng aking karanasan sa pagsakay dito.
Sa pagkakantanda ko ay nakagawa na rin ako ng sulat tungkol sa aking mga sabaw na karanasan habang nabyahe sa jeep pero para sa blog na ‘to ikukwento ko ulit.
Grade 12 Senior High School ako nung nangyari ‘to. Kahit alas otso ang simula ng aming klase, alas siete palang ng umaga umaalis na ako. Sa gantong paraan kasi maiiwasan ko na maipit sa traffic at ma-late. Simula umaga hanngang alas singko ng hapon ang klase namin. Buong araw na kung tutuusin. Nakakaubos ng lakas ang gantong schedule. Dahil dito hindi maiiwasan ang mga sabaw na pagkakataon tulad nalang ng nangyari sa’kin.
Pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng klase dumiretso agad ako sa sakayan ng jeep upang makauwi ng bahay. Nagkataong napaupo ako sa tabi ng isang ale na nanonood ng mga nakakatuwang bidyo sa internet. Hindi ko namamalayan na nabihag na ang aking atensyon sa kanyang pinapanood. Sa kasamaang palad, napalakas ang aking tawa at nagtinginan ang iba pang mga pasahero ng jeep sa akin. Dahil sa hiya, nagdesisyon akong bumaba nalang kahit malayo pa ang aking destinasyon.
Meron ding pagkakataon na dahil sa sobrang antok, bigla bigla ko nalang mabibitiwan yung hand rail sa jeep. May isang beses pa nga na nagising ako mula sa pagkakatulog at akala ko lumagpas na ako kaya napasigaw ako ng ‘para’. Nung napagtanto ko na malayo pa pala ako, nagpatay malisya nalang ako at kunyari di ako yung sumigaw.
Ilan lang yan sa mga sabaw moments na maibabahagi ko sa inyo. Pero siguro kung may ikukwento ako sa inyo na talagang tumatak sa puso’t isip ko, ito yung naging usapan namin ni Manong habang dala-dala ko yung mga ibebenta namin sa immersion.
Nung mga panahong ‘to, nagsisimula nang magbukas ang ekonomiya galing sa pandemya. Taong 2021 yata ito kung hindi ako nagkakamali. Nagkataon naman na pinayagan kaming magkaroon ng immersion sa pamamagitan ng online selling.
Dala-dala ko yung mga paninda ko para ihatid sa mga customers at sakto namang dumaan ang jeep na pinapasada ni Manong. Agad ko ‘tong pinara at sumakay sa harap ng jeep, bandang tabi nung driver.
Napansin nya siguro yung dala-dala kong plastik kaya napatanong sya.
“Ano yan, yung ang dala mo?” tinuro nya yung hawak ko sa pamamagitan ng labi. Sinabi ko naman sa kanya na ito yung binebenta namin sa online bilang bahagi ng immersion namin.
“Kamusta naman?”, sunod na tanong nya. Muli ko naman itong sinagot. Naging mahaba-haba din ang usapan namin ni Manong hanggang sa naitanong ko sa kanya kung kamusta ang kita nya simula nung pandemic hanggang ngayon.
Nagsimula syang magkwento. Simula daw nung nag-lockdown, pati silang mga jeepney driver ay naging apektado. Ang tanging pinagkukuhaan lang nila ng panggastos sa araw-araw ay utang mula sa mga kakilala at kamag-anak. Minsan nga daw kung hindi sapat ang budget, isang beses sa isang araw lang sila kumakain. Ang nakakalungkot pa don ay hindi sila nakakuha ng ayuda galing sa gobyerno.
Kung hindi lang ako bababa sa destinasyon ko, gusto ko pa sanang ituloy nya ang kwento. Pero yun nga, may mga kwento talaga sigurong hindi natatapos at nasa atin na kung pano natin itutuloy.
Ang mga katulad ni Manong ang isa sa mga maaapektuhan ng Jeepney Modernization Law. Hindi ako tutol sa pagbabagong balak gawin ng gobyerno pero kung papahirapan pa ang mga driver na lubos na naapektuhan nung pandemya at pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, ako’y tututol dito.
Ang bawat presyo ng bagong unit ng modernong jeepney ay nagkakahalaga ng 1.4 - 1.8 million pesos o mas mataas pa depende sa klase nito. Hindi ito ibibigay nang libre ng gobyerno. Pero balak magbibigay ng 260,000 pesos subsidy ng Department of Transportation (DOTr). Kung pagsusumahin halos 1.13 - 1.54 million “nalang” ang babayaran.
Karamihan sa mga namamasada ngayon ay nasa edad 40 hanggang 70. Ang jeep nalang ang bumubuhay sa kanila at sa pamilya nila. Pero dahil sa napipintong pagtanggal sa mga unit nila, nanganganib na mawalan sila ng hanapbuhay. Kung pipiliin naman nilang kumuha ng modernong jeepney, babayaran nila ito hanggang sa kanilang pagtanda. Wala na ngang pension, nagkaroon pa ng malaking utang.
Hindi lang sila ang apektado, pati ang mga komyuter. Inaasahang tataas hanggang 20-25 pesos ang pamasahe para lang maabot ang daily quota , na maaaaring tumaas pa dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina. Sa estudyanteng katulad ko na nagtitipid para lang may maipambayad sa ibang gastusin sa paaralan, yung lima hanggang sampung pisong dagdag sa pamasahe ay malaki na. Ganun din siguro sa ibang tao na medyo hindi kalakihan ang sweldo at may pinapakain na pamilya.
Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit maraming galit sa mga driver na nagdesisyong isakripisyo ang isang linggong kita nila para iparating sa gobyerno ang kanilang hinaing. Ang laban nila ay laban din ng bawat komyuter. Lahat tayo ay apektado pero sila yung naglakas loob na pumunta sa kalye para lumaban.
Kailangan nating ilagay yung sarili natin sa kalagayan nila para maintindihan natin yung pinanggagalingan nung galit at gulo. Minsan kasi masyado na tayong prebilehiyo para maintindihan yung sitwasyon ng iba.
Marami pa akong gustong sabihin pero masyado nang mahaba ang sulat kong ito. Kung gusto nyo mas maintindihan ang ipinaglalaban ng mga tsuper, maaari nyong panuorin and video na 'to.
Tandaan na walang masama sa modernisasyon basta ito'y patas at makatarungan.
Maraming salamat.
ENGLISH
For almost a few months, this is the first time I am writing an article here on Hive using the Tagalog language. To be honest, it took me a few days to think about how to start because I admit it's difficult to go back to my native language when I'm used to using a foreign language. When you write and speak in English almost every day, you really get used to it. Today, thanks to the prompt given by @tpkidkai, I will once again try to express my ideas in Tagalog.
Because of the impending phase-out of old jeeps to make way for the government's plan to modernize public transportation, let me share some thoughts and stories about my experience riding on one.
I remember writing about my jeepney experiences before, but for this blog, I will retell them.
I was in Grade 12 Senior High School when this happened. Even though our classes started at 8:00 am, I would leave as early as 7:00 am to avoid getting stuck in traffic and being late. This way, I could attend my classes from early morning until 5:00 pm, the whole day, which can be exhausting. Because of this, it was inevitable for me to encounter embarrassing moments, just like what happened to me.
After class, I immediately went to the jeepney terminal to go home. I happened to sit next to an old lady who was watching funny videos on the internet. I didn't realize that I was already engrossed in what she was watching. Unfortunately, I laughed out loud, and the other passengers in the jeepney stared at me. Because of embarrassment, I decided to get off even if my destination was still far away.
There were also times when I was so sleepy that I suddenly let go of the handrail inside the jeepney. There was even one time when I woke up from a nap and thought I had missed my stop, so I shouted: "para" (stop). When I realized that I was still far away, I just pretended that it wasn't me who shouted.
Those are just a few of the embarrassing moments I can share with you. But perhaps the story that really stayed in my heart and mind was the conversation I had with "Manong" while carrying our goods for our immersion.
At that time, the economy was starting to recover from the pandemic. I think this happened in 2021. We were allowed to have an online selling immersion.
I was carrying my merchandise to deliver to customers when Manong's jeepney passed by. I immediately hailed the jeepney and sat in the front seat next to the driver.
He probably noticed the plastic bag I was carrying, so he asked me what it was.
"What's that, is that what you're carrying?" He pointed to what I was holding with his lips. I told him that it was what we were selling online as part of our immersion.
"How's it going?" He asked next. I answered him back. Manong and I had a long conversation, and I asked him how his earnings were since the pandemic started.
He started to tell his story. Since the lockdown, even jeepney drivers like him were affected. They only rely on loans from friends and relatives for their daily expenses. Sometimes, if the budget is not enough, they only eat once a day. What's even sadder is that they didn't receive any government aid.
If I didn't have to get off at my destination, I would have liked for him to continue his story. But there are stories that probably never end, and it's up to us how we will continue them.
People like Manong are among those affected by the Jeepney Modernization Law. I am not opposed to the government's plan for change, but if it will only make things harder for drivers who have already been greatly affected by the pandemic and the rising fuel prices, then I am against it.
Each new modern jeepney unit costs 1.4 - 1.8 million pesos or even more depending on the class. The government will not provide them for free. But the Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to give a 260,000-peso subsidy. If you add it up, they will still have to pay around 1.13 - 1.54 million pesos.
Most drivers today are between the ages of 40 and 70. The jeepney is their only means of livelihood for themselves and their families. But because their units are in danger of being phased out, they risk losing their livelihoods. If they choose to buy modern jeepneys, they will have to pay for them until their old age. They already have no pension and will have a huge debt to pay.
They are not the only ones affected, even commuters will be affected. It is expected that fares will increase by 20-25 pesos just to reach the daily quota, which may even increase due to the continuous rise of gasoline prices. For students like me who save up just to have money for other school expenses, an additional five to ten pesos for the fare is already a big deal. It's probably the same for other people who have a small salary and a family to feed.
I can't understand why many people are angry at the drivers who decided to sacrifice a week's worth of earnings just to express their grievances to the government. Their fight is our fight too. We are all affected, but they were the ones who had the courage to go to the streets and fight.
We need to put ourselves in their shoes to understand where their anger and chaos are coming from. Sometimes, we are too privileged to understand other people's situations.
There are still many things I want to say, but this letter is already too long. If you want to understand more about what the drivers are fighting for, you can watch this video.
Remember that there's nothing wrong with modernization as long as it's fair and just.
Thank you.
