No government is ever ready for a wide-scale pandemic like this.

Even 1 st world countries has dealt with

the current situation with a blindfold. The best practice that has shown promising result to flatten the
curve is by maintaining social distancing, and for worse, home quarantine for all.

The negative side is firm with our stand that the government must apply what the law so states. Dura lex
sed lex, the law is harsh but it is the law. The law was made for a reason and those reasons are
intensified by the very existence of the pandemic.

The omnibus guidelines for Franchise Issuance of Department of Transportation is in consonance with
the constitution in protecting and preserving public health. It is a statutory construction principle that
the constitution shall be held supreme among laws and statutes. In this case, the very essence of the
LTFRB directive is to promote reliability and safety embedded on the very words of its omnibus. The
presence of the virus among us raises that it is high time that LTFRB must implement its directive more
strictly. Who are the users of transportations at this very moment? Frontliners, mostly coming from the
medical field and those who provide essential needs during the pandemic. The very people whose on
shoulders our country’s sake lies on. Therefore, the ltfrb must not just implement its previous
guidelines, but must also add additional devises in public vehicles made for precautionary measures to
implement the Enhanced Community Quarantine. And to strike down those who do not follow by
withhelding their franchise renewal to make them accountable. The laws are there for a reason and the
matter at hand cannot be solved with leniency by the government. One cannot kill a weed by picking its
leaves, one must strike the roots. And the very root of the problem is not quantity of drivers on the
roads available but the discipline set by our leaders to strongly contain the communication of the virus.

There has been a clamor for income stand still in the marginalized sectors. Much more those whose
income is derived from daily work and the public utility vehicle drivers are among those struck by this
pandemic. But if we look at the bigger picture, who is not affected?

The Philippine Statistics Authority report in 2015 said that a family of 5 actually needed "at least P9,140
on the average every month to meet both basic food and non-food needs.” . Lets apply average inflation
in 5 years of 2.5 percent according to the BSP which gives as rough amount of 22,850.

Now, Par. c Section 4 of RA 11469 or Bayanihan Act specifically provides that under the implementation
of quarantine amidst the pandemic or COVID-19 on this instance, there shall be subsidy provided to 18
million low income households. The subsidy provided shall amount to a minimum of 5,000 to a
maximum amount of 8,000 a month for 2 months. The said computation shall be based on the prevailing
regional minimum wage rates. That would be a maximum amount of 16,000 pesos during the pandemic
crisis. This program is implemented by DSWD.

Another program that public vehicle drivers can avail of is the Small Business Wage Subsidy granted by
SSS in cooperation with the Department of Finance. Granting small businesses to help mitigate the
impact of the quarantine in Luzon and various local government units wherein wage subsidy which shall
be given for up to two months so that affected small businesses are able to retain their employees
during the quarantine period. The wage subsidy shall amount between 5,000 to 8,000 pesos (based on
the regional minimum wage) per month per eligible employee.

Now, lets assume that both maximum amounts are granted to an affected public utility driver, which will
give us 16,000. Compared to the daily basic need of 22,850, given that they will stay at home and leisure
such as (alcohol drinking or any type of amusement) is prohibited as of the moment, most expense will
come from food consumption. The negative side believes that the government money aids will suffice
those most affected economically impaired families and that the state has addressed the income stand
still that worries many of us.