San Juan PUJ drivers get food packs, aid amid pandemic

PUBLIC UTILITY  jeepney (PUJ) drivers hard-hit by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on Wednesday started to receive food packs from the local government of San Juan.  

Mayor Francis Zamora said the Tzu Chi Foundation has partnered with the city government to distribute food assistance to the jeepney drivers amid the health crisis.

Zamora said each jeepney driver will be provided some 20 kilos of rice and packs of canned goods to help them sustain their daily living while they are still out of the city's roads.

The mayor thanked the Tzu Chi Foundation for supporting the jeepney drivers in San Juan city.

"Ang laking tulong talaga ng Tzu Chi Foundation, sapagkat tatlong beses po makakatanggap ng ayuda ang mga ating mga jeepney drivers dito sa San Juan (The Tzu Chi Foundation is helping a lot as our jeepney drivers here will be provided with relief assistance three times)," he said.

Meanwhile, Zamora also vowed to provide financial assistance to jeepney drivers who are not part of the government's social amelioration program (SAP) and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) program.

"Ito po ang promise ko sa inyo, kung merong hindi napasama sa SAP at merong hindi nasama sa TUPAD, magbibigay po ako ng financial assistance para sa inyo (This is my promise to you, if anyone who is not included in SAP and TUPAD, then I will give you financial assistance)," he said.

Zamora immediately ordered the PUJ drivers association's focal person to give him the list of jeepney drivers who are not part of the SAP and TUPAD.

He added that amounting to PHP3,000 financial assistance will be provided to jeepney drivers who are unqualified to the national government's SAP and TUPAD.

Zamora clarified that only jeepney drivers who are bonafide residents of San Juan are allowed to receive financial assistance from the city government.

The Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board has earlier allowed the operation of a total of 16,214 PUJs plying 178 routes in Metro Manila. (By Lade Jean Kabagani)