JMJ Marist

Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Driving Amidst Pandemic: Exploring the Experiences

and Adjustments of Tricycle Drivers in Koronadal City
During Covid-19 Pandemic.

A Qualitative Research
Submitted to the Faculty of Senior High School
Department Notre Dame of Marbel University
Koronadal City, South Cotabato

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1
(Qualitative Research)

ALBENTO, JOHN ANDRIE S.

BARCEBAL, ALEXA MACKY
FACTORA, JOILEEN
GELLA, JOHN LLOYD
GIMENA, KHASMIL
KAMPANG, DANESSA
PAMPLONA, FRANZID
PELAEZ, PATRICK JAY
SALINDA, JOHN LLOYD
VIDUYA, SOPHIA NICOLE

Grade 11- STEM - Gabriel

March, 2021
 INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study

Tricycle or sometimes called “trike” is a three-wheeled public utility vehicle consisting of a

motorcycle and an attached passenger’s side car. These trikes can be found everywhere in the
country except on major or main roads (Huerta, 2015). Tricycles are the second most popular
means of transportation in the Philippines. According to the statistics from the year 2013, the
number of registered Tricycles in the Philippines reached 3.58 million. These vehicles have
been around for a significant amount of time and has served as the primary sources of
livelihoods for many Filipinos.
The tricycle is a Philippine transportation vehicle that is so useful in many ways. It is
adaptable, able to change or be changed in order to fit or work better in some situation. Based
on the study of Huerta (2015) normally, a tricycle can accommodate three to five passengers
and luggage can be placed on the roof. Three people can fit inside the side car and usually one
or two passengers can ride behind the driver but, one will often see this Philippine
transportation vehicle carrying 10-20 passengers which served to be a safety hazard for most.
The reason why tricycles are so beloved is because of the convenience a small amount of
money would serve the passenger. According to the “A tricycle ride in the Philippines,” the
usual fare starts from Php 8.00 and up, depending on the locality and the distance to be ridden.
They are always available, cheap and fast. If you want to pay the lowest fare, you wait until the
trike is filled up with passengers. But if you want the tricycle alone, just tell the driver you want a
special ride. After that, it will bring you to every desired place.

As the world continues to venture into the new normal, where the usual pace of things
changed drastically for everyone, Tricycle drivers are among the many workers who suffered
from this change the most (Tricycle drivers are one of those hit the hardest, 2020). Working
shifts that risk their own lives for the sake of their needs as well as their families’. That is why
the focus of this study is to know how the drivers of this quaint but useful vehicle coped with the
changes and adjustments in facing the new normal, and to know what is the reason why they
still continue to drive amidst the pandemic; moreover, this study aims to understand and clear
out the coping mechanism and adjustments of every tricycle drivers to survive amidst the
pandemic.
Review of Related Literature
The economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic did not fall with the same
severity on all shoulders. Existing vulnerabilities have been exposed and inequalities have
been entrenched. Many of those with more limited means and protection, such as workers in
informal work or in various work arrangements, have been the least able to cope with the
consequences of the crisis. (International Labor organization,2020). During the initial phase of
the crisis, low-paid, often low-skilled, employees were especially affected. Many of the so-
called 'frontline workers' who, exposing themselves to the virus to ensure the continuity of
critical services during lockdowns, put their health at risk are employed in sectors characterized
by comparatively low wages. This involves (apart from doctors) health and care professionals,
but also cashiers, production and food processing workers, janitor and maintenance workers,
agriculture workers, delivery works and drivers. (International Labor organization,2020) Some
of the latest start-ups for mobility Businesses have been under financial pressure Until COVID-
19 now. The capital of the venture Investment has now plummeted by more than Compared to
2018, half in 2019. The Virus outbreak decreased passenger numbers and this burden is
growing on consumers, forcing businesses to lay off workers and to minimize Wages and time
at work. (Ibold, Medimorec, Wagner, Peruzzo, 2020)

Countries have implemented widespread population-level physical distancing measures

and travel restrictions in many countries where group transmission has led to outbreaks of near
exponential growth in order to delay spread and set up other protection measures. "Physical
steps of distancing and restrictions of movement, also referred to as "shut downs" and "lock
downs," will slow down COVID-19 transmission by limiting contact between people. (World
Health Organization) However, by bringing social and economic life to a near stop, these
interventions can have a significant negative effect on individuals, communities, and societies.
Such interventions have a disproportionate effect on vulnerable communities, including people
living in poverty, who most frequently live in overcrowded, resourced environments and rely on
regular subsistence labor (World health Organization,2020)
 At the end of 2019, when health officials in Wuhan (China) reported a group of
pneumonia cases caused by an unknown agent, later identified as SARS-CoV-2 in mid-
January, the rest of the world saw it as a local problem occurring a long way away. The World
Health Organization (WHO) named this new illness COVID-19, and it quickly spread throughout
the population, with particularly serious impacts on Italy and Spain during its first phase of
expansion outside China to the rest of the world. On 11 March, the WHO declared this illness to
be a “global pandemic”, However, the repercussions the pandemic has had on internal mobility
within towns and cities, above all in Europe, have not been reported on in any detailed way
until now. All the analyzed published data coincides in that mobility has dropped around the
world as the spread of the virus has increased and crossed frontiers. The success of the
lockdown policy implemented in Wuhan led the most affected countries to apply similar
measures which restricted mobility. The analysis carried out by TomTom published at TomTom
Traffic Index [18] quantifies the congestion levels in many cities around the world.( As cited in
sustainability, May 2020).
The global impact of the 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been well documented.
This outbreak was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th
March 2020. To date, there have been cases confirmed in at least 203 countries, areas or
territories, according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic
has caused unprecedented measures to be taken by many countries, such as travel restrictions
and restrictions on social gatherings (De Vos, 2020). as remote work is being trialled globally,
more people are working from home. This reduces their travel needs; the inadequate power
supply, internet connections and the large informal economy in Nigeria has often meant that
people must travel daily to work. Fourth, the road is the most prevalent and extensively used
form of transportation (Nwafor and Onya, 2019) in the Lagos metropolis. However, the
inadequate fleets of public transport vehicles and dilapidated road networks present significant
concerns for the state. With regards to a pandemic, Lagos State has always been vulnerable
medically. ( As cited in mogaji, july 2020).
 Statement of the Problem

Main objective:

Generally, the main purpose of this study is to determine and explore the experiences
and adjustments that tricycle drivers went through because of the Covid-19 pandemic and
how they affected their lives.
Specifically, this study seeks to do the following:
1. Describe the driving experiences of the participants during pandemic in terms of:
a. How they felt when receiving the news of the changes brought by the
Pandemic;
b. How they reacted to the lockdown and the new city regulations, and;
c. How they felt when they experienced the changes brought by the pandemic as
they happened.
2. Determine the adjustments of the participants during pandemic in their:
a. Health Aspect
b. Economic Aspect
c. Social Aspect
3. Determine the reason why the participants continue driving amidst pandemic.

Significance of the Study

The purpose of this study is to gain insights about how does tricycle drivers cope up
with this new normal and to know how they surpass the challenges brought by the
pandemic.
This study will also help other people to understand the experiences and challenges
that a Tricycle driver are facing right know. How they can gain income; how they can
surpass the needs of their family
 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study limits its coverage to tricycle drivers who still continue to do their jobs amidst
the pandemic as a sample when conducting the survey. The researchers of the study also wish
to conduct the study with drivers within Koronadal City and explore the topic circling specifically
around the adjustments of the participants during the pandemic in terms of their health,
economic, and social aspects; the real-time experiences of the drivers on how they deal with
the new changes during their work hours; ad determine the reasons why the participants still
continue with their occupation despite the current pandemic. Each participant is given the same
questionnaire as each other to answer and the study aims to be finished by the end of the
current school year, 2020-2021; furthermore, the study also restricts itself to only cover these
topics and variables, other vehicle drivers are excluded as well as other places besides
Koronadal City, and experiences not concerning the pandemic itself will not be explored.

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework

This study aims to explore the experiences and adjustments of tricycle drivers in
Koronadal City during Covid-19 pandemic.

Experiences Adjustments
Tricycle drivers in Koronadal City
Economic Social
during Covid-19 pandemic
Pandemic

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of this study, the following terms are defined in the context of this
research.

Transportation- the movement from place to place of goods and people and the various
means by which such movement is achieved.
Protocol- a system of fixed rules and formal behavior used at official meetings, usually
between governments
Coping Mechanism- an adaptation to environmental stress that is based on conscious or
unconscious choice and that enhances control over behavior or gives psychological comfort.
Commuters- a person who regularly travels between home and work.
Lockdown- an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented
from entering or leaving a restricted area or building (such as a school) during a threat of
danger
COVID-19-is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. 'CO' stands for corona, 'VI' for
virus, and 'D' for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as '2019 novel coronavirus' or
'2019-nCoV.
Pandemic-is a disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents. It affects more
people and takes more lives than an epidemic.
Tricycle drivers-are the people responsible of taking us to places and we rely on them to keep
us safe as we travel. They are the people who is affected by this economic crisis and they are
our main respondents in this research.
WHO-World Health Organization.
Trike-It's a tricycle and serves as our transportation.

.
 METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the methodology of the study. It presents the research design
systematically. It also describes the locale of the study, participants of the study and research
instrumentation. Further, it explains in details the ethical considerations, data gathering
process, data analysis procedure and interpretation.

Research Design

The design chosen for this research study is the qualitative phenomenological approach
in which aims to study a phenomenon as the participant had experienced and perceived it and
to reveal what the phenomenon is rather than what causes it or why it is being encountered at
all (Guilbeau C., 2014). It attempts to identify phenomena and focus on understanding the
structure the experiences of Tricycle drivers in their adjustment during this pandemic.
Furthermore, the researchers will conduct an in-depth-interview with the tricycle drivers by
following the proper protocol to gather information and data on the problems the study wishes
to explore.

Figure 1 illustrates the design scheme of the research paradigm. It presents a vivid view
of the study and the correlation of the different variables to the Experience and Adjustment of
Tricycle drivers during Covid19 Pandemic.
 Figure 1. Research Design

Locale of the Study

This study will be conducted within the city of Koronadal. Koronadal City is the capital of
the province of South Cotabato. The place was selected by the researchers because it will give
them the substantial information and distinct perspectives of the tricycle drivers needed for the
study. The participants will be interviewed in the urban streets of the city or any comfortable
place that the participants will choose. This study will be conducted in the second semester of
the academic year 2020 - 2021.
Participants

This study utilizes the selected Tricycle Drivers only within the extent of Koronadal City,
South Cotabato. The researchers believe that the data needed to respond the problems of this
study can be provided by these participants given that they adhere to the set of inclusion
criteria or characteristics such as:
 ● They must be Tricycle Drivers who live and work within Koronadal City.
● They must have their Driver's license.
● They must be Willing to participate in the study by giving consent to be interviewed one-
on-one.
● They must be Willing to give full knowledge in answering questions given by the
researchers.
● They must be a tricycle driver long enough to experience the changes brought by the
pandemic.

They are the most appropriate participants of the study because this research is mainly
focused on the Experiences and Adjustment of Tricycle Drivers during Covid19-Pandemic.
Therefore, the participants should be well-fitting to the given criteria in order to provide the
researchers with rich insights and substantial responses beneficial to the credibility and validity
of the research. We used code name to keep their identities and responses in utmost
confidentiality.

Ethical Consideration

Research ethics govern the standards of conduct for scientific researchers. It is important
to adhere to ethical principles in order to protect the dignity, rights and welfare of research
participants (WHO, n.d.). To complete the research, it is important that the researchers must
comply with said the ethical considerations in order to uphold the primary goal of doing a
qualitative research. The main ethical principles and considerations for this study are the
respect for the individual, their views, responses, and the viewing of these responses
objectively as researchers; maintaining confidentiality and privacy over the participants’
identities, responses, and data about them; and the consideration of the full consent of each
individual participant in regards to their participation to the study. Each of these principles
adhere to the basic human rights of a person and the researchers sought it to be fit to concern
themselves with them in conducting the study.

Research Instrument

The researchers created and used an interview guide based on the specific research
problems. It contains the two major questions that were critiqued and approved by the research
teacher/ adviser. The researchers translated them correctly to the language that is most familiar
to the participants. A sample copy is in Appendix D. Also, an audio recorder and note taking
materials were utilized with the consent of the participants. The audio recorder was used in
order to capture the total responses for each question in a verbatim manner and to transcribe it
with integrity.

Data Collection Procedure

The method of collecting data for the study is through the use of in-depth-interviews that
will be done with the chosen tricycle drivers who meet the inclusion criteria provided for who will
act as the participants in the study titled Driving Amidst Pandemic: Exploring the Experiences
and Adjustments of Tricycle Drivers in Koronadal City During Covid-19 Pandemic. The
researchers will prepare guide questions that would answer each statement of the problem.
Afterwards, the researchers will request for a letter of approval to the school principal and a
letter of request to conduct the study for the interviewees signed by the principal. Then, the
researchers would request to conduct an informational interview with the chosen participants
and transcribe the data gathered. After which, the researchers will evaluate and interpret the
collected information from the consultation to arrive at certain conclusions and
recommendations.

Data Analysis Technique

The researcher will use the thematic analysis which is commonly used in a qualitative
research this is much more than simply Summarizing the data, the researcher will provide
recorded interview on those tricycle drivers who are only willing to participate and in a
Conversational Tone that can give researchers a conclusion on knowing their experiences and
adjustment during the covid-19 pandemic.