Tragic

Manila in the time of war is just as tragic even though the conflict is tens of thousands of miles away, and this tragedy is in the death of a motorcycle taxi driver who died while waiting for his ayuda.

It’s death by ayuda, not by bombs and shrapnel – a tragedy that our government has inflicted upon itself.

Clearly, we have learned nothing from the COVID-19 pandemic, where citizens had to wait for hours on end just to get their share of aid – from P4,000 to P8,000 at the time – and they had to do this in long, snaking queues in crowded barangay centers or basketball courts where the chance of the virus spreading far outweighed the benefits of getting a one-time cash dole-out.

When will the government ever learn? Was there really no other way?

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has long been pushing for digitalization and fintech as a way to help the unbanked sector and as all of us know, almost every public transport driver or retail vendor now has a GCash or Maya account. Even the friendly neighborhood taho seller accepts P20 for a warm cup of taho through his own QR code.

So it’s really a puzzle why the government continues to distribute ayuda in ways that are not only unhealthy but also undignified and utterly inhumane.

I echo our newspaper’s recent editorial: “In the age of artificial intelligence and e-wallets, when even children own smartphones, how can aid payouts be so inefficient?

“The Department of Social Welfare and Development cited the lack of master lists and centralized databases for determining the qualified subsidy beneficiaries, thus necessitating the personal presence of those applying for the aid. So much for e-governance.” (The STAR, April 21).

But there must be another way. It can be done through transport groups and associations. It can be done through the barangay centers with payouts spread out per area. It can be done through scheduled distribution or in an air-conditioned area, perhaps in spaces in malls where the Sunday masses are held.

Because with the scorching summer heat and the heat index at dangerous levels, asking our people to line up under furnace-like conditions is not only incompassionate but also crazy and dangerous.

Photos showed the drivers stuck in long queues, using what little they had – an extra shirt, a towel, a piece of paper – to cover their heads and protect themselves from the heat.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our neighbor’s helper lined up overnight for more than 12 hours to get her P7,000 cash aid from the government. She patiently waited for her turn in a barangay covered court that was filled to the brim, at the risk of getting the dreaded virus.

As for the motorcycle taxi driver, according to news reports, he died on Saturday while on the ayuda line, waiting to get his cash relief assistance from the DSWD at a payout site in Quezon Memorial Circle.

The driver died of a heart attack, according to reports, quoting his relatives. In response, the DSWD, which confirmed the incident in a Facebook post, said it has provided assistance to the driver’s family.

According to the DSWD, over 17,600 motorcycle taxi and delivery riders went to four aid payout sites across Metro Manila on that day to claim their cash assistance worth P5,000 each.

Protests

Transport groups have launched a new three-day transport strike from April 21 to 23, along with calls to cut fuel prices to P55, suspend the excise and value-added taxes imposed on petroleum products and repeal the Oil Deregulation Law.

In addition, these transport groups, including Manibela and Piston, are also mourning the death of the motorcycle taxi driver.

“We are disappointed because it feels like the transport sector is asking for alms for a small cost. We are burdened just for only P5,000,” Piston national president Mody Floranda said.

Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said that indeed, “the line is very long under the hot sun.”

“If the government is serious, they should direct (the cash aid) to local associations,” Floranda suggested. (The STAR, April 22).

Oil diplomacy

What is the government doing in response to the crisis?

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Malacañang is doing what it can “to hammer out moves that will blunt the blow of petroleum price spikes on people, prices and productivity.”

He said they met with 25 executives from 14 petroleum companies for a “wide-ranging dialogue on supply, inventory and cost issues.”

“And we are hopeful that oil diplomacy should not only keep our stocks replenished, but also build them up.”

He assured the public that assistance that will help the most vulnerable – whether individuals or struggling small companies – will be extended and sustained in a targeted manner.

These are positive developments for sure but the government must do more. And faster.

That aid distribution last Saturday occurred nearly two months after the war erupted. As I said, in the era of e-wallets – which have also verified user identities using government IDs – the aid distribution could have been done in seconds.

The bottom line is this: our officials must understand the situation on the ground. Simply distributing aid is not enough. It must be done efficiently – so our fellow Filipinos don’t waste hours in long lines under the notoriously hot summer sun, time they could have spent earning a living.

More importantly, no one should endure such inhumane conditions. Because what could be more tragic than dying while waiting for ayuda?

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@eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.