The series of oil price hikes this year, numbering to as much as 16, has compounded the burden of Filipinos as the cost of basic necessities has become too steep for their pockets. For the families of drivers of public utility vehicle (PUV), the strain to make both ends meet is twice over.
BY REYNA MAE TABBADA
Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 45, December 16-22, 2007
The series of oil price hikes this year, numbering to as much as 16, has compounded the burden of Filipinos as the cost of basic necessities has become too steep for their pockets. For the families of drivers of public utility vehicle (PUV), the strain to make both ends meet is twice over. Aside from their daily expenses like food and rent, they also have to pay their boundary and spend for fuel.
This reality is something that Billy and Susan know too well. Billy, 38, is a jeepney driver traveling from España Boulevard to the Project 2&3 area. On the other hand, Susan, 40, is living with her partner who earns by operating a tricycle in Divisoria. Though Billy and Susan live parallel lives, they travel the same path that is getting tougher and more arduous every single day.
A wife and seven kids
For seven years now, Billy has been traversing the same route and giving the same P800 ($19.44 at an exchange rate of $1=P41.14) boundary to the owner of the jeepney he is using. From bachelorhood to being a husband and father of seven children, he has witnessed the deterioration of a livelihood that is so far his only means to earn a living for his family.
“I used to take home P700 ($17.01) when I started, but now I’m only earning P400 ($9.72) minus the boundary,” recounted Billy. But it is the price of crude oil that really puts a dent to his meager salary, especially since he has to cough out P1,500 ($36.46) daily.
With P400 ($9.72) as their daily budget, Billy always put food on top of their priority list. Rice and vegetables are the staple meal for his wife, three daughters, and four sons. “To be able to eat three times a day is enough for us,” Billy pointed out. However, he expressed anxiety over the growing needs of his children as the eldest is now eleven years old and finishing Grade 5 while the youngest is only one month old. In order to help augment their income, his wife takes on some laundry and ironing jobs while looking after their children. He also sidelines as a tricycle driver at night for P130 ($3.159) more to add to their budget.
Still, Billy is quick to single out the rising prices of crude oil as the main culprit behind their diminishing resources. “If the price of crude oil is reduced, then I can take home more money. We can live more comfortably if I can only earn at least P500 ($12.15),” he lamented.
After three years of being a breadwinner, Billy cannot recall a single instance when life has been a little easier. In fact, he has not been able to visit his hometown in Samar because of lack of funds. But he admits that he does not have much choice when it comes to job options as he only finished his primary education. “It looks like I will be driver for a long time,” admitted Billy.
Starting a family
Supporting a family is a responsibility that makes Susan both excited and apprehensive. “One is enough,” she candidly confessed when asked how many children she wants once she and her boyfriend got married. And the reason behind planning only one child is money. Susan admits that they manage to get by because both of them have jobs. The downside is that their work are time-consuming as she can only go home to Divisoria every Sunday to save on fare while he has to drive his tricycle up to late at night, especially during the peak of Christmas shopping. “What will happen to us if we start having kids and one of us has to stay home for good,” she surmised.
And Susan’s doubts are not exactly unfounded. After paying the P130 ($3.159) boundary to the owner of the tricycle and the P50 ($1.21) for every 1.5-liter gasoline, its driver can only earn around P200 ($4.86). “Sometimes he can earn P500 ($12.15), but that would be two days worth of hard work with minimal sleep,” she added.
With a budget of only P1,000 ($24.30) every week, Susan accepts that they still could not support a family own. Though they do not scrimp on food and they try to save whatever they can spare, their combined income cannot support more than the two of them.
“We are considering moving back to Pangasinan. He wants to join my brothers who are also working as tricycle drivers there. At least he’ll be in the company of relatives,” Susan shared. Bulatlat
