Not all heroes wear capes.
Today, the country remembers its National Heroes and the Filipino people will honor and remember all those who helped lay the groundwork for the nation’s freedom and independence.
However, the term “hero” is no longer solely reserved for those brave enough to defend their country but can also refer to those who go above and beyond to help and serve others.
Food delivery riders served as the nation’s modern-day heroes, whose primary responsibilities were to provide for basic needs despite the restrictions brought on by Covid-19 and the accompanying lockdowns.
Today is also a perfect moment to recognize them as our modern-day heroes.
A measure was filed at the House of Representatives that seeks to shield food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery riders from fraudulent transactions by barring advance payments to fulfill orders.
House Bill 3784 prohibits service providers from requiring delivery riders to advance payments from so-called riders.
If orders are canceled, the service provider must pay the service cost to the delivery riders or drivers.
Bicycle for delivery works
Joselito Abaño, 21, working in the delivery business for a year, said he supports the proposed bill because it will protect him and his coworkers from liability for a fake booking
For Abaño, who values every cent he earned, the proposed bill would greatly help him and his family.
He is a working student who depends on his job as a food delivery rider to support his single mother, whose job is a vegetable vendor, to raise his three younger siblings.
Instead of a motorcycle, he uses a bicycle as a service for his delivery job, prompting him to take home a much lower compensation than other riders who use a scooter.
He earns P500 for six to seven hours of working on peak days, while he could only take home a P100 to P200 when off-peak.
Abaño confessed that he was a victim not once but many times of a bogus booking. He sometimes got into trouble when he tried to return the food to the restaurant.
That’s why he told this writer that he fully supported the proposed bill, as it would be a big help for him and other delivery riders.
Claims for collection pursued
Under the bill, the service provider must pursue claims for collection from customers who canceled orders and be responsible for and in charge of registering and verifying the customer’s identity.
“Riders are not at fault,” Abaño said.
The bill punishes any food, grocery, and pharmacy delivery service provider found violating the prohibition on requiring monetary advances from delivery riders or drivers with imprisonment of up to six months (arresto mayor) and/or a fine not exceeding P100,000, along with the revocation of their licenses and permits.
Meanwhile, customers found to be using another person’s personal information, cancelling confirmed orders, placing hoax orders, or refusing to pay confirmed orders shall also be imprisoned for up to six months and/or fined up to P100,000.
To have adequate time for his education, he only worked a specific number of hours per day during the week, showing how much he valued his time.
Abaño expressed hope that Guintu could defend his bill and that Congress would pass it because delivery riders who run into phony bookings always have bad luck despite doing a good job.
These are just some of the delivery riders’ misfortunes that most people are unaware of.