Filipinos are maximizing Facebook groups to help daily wage earners who are the most affected during the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon.
‘SuperTsuper’
Facebook group “SuperTsuper” was created in a bid to support drivers of all types of public utility vehicles and transport network vehicle services who are left without jobs as an effect of the mass public transportation ban.
The public group connects individuals who wanted to help the drivers through cash donations mainly coursed through mobile wallets like GCash.
The drivers post their information, pictures and a snapshot of their driver’s license as proof of their identity in case members are interested to donate.
While the group lets Filipinos offer help, it is not meant to be a donation drive nor an organization that solicits money from its members.
It has since gained more than 30,000 members from the date of its creation.
‘Bayaning Frontliners’
Meanwhile, another Facebook group was created with the aim to support another type of frontliners—garbage collectors, janitors and the maintenance staff.
“Bayaning Frontliners: Tulong sa Janitors, Basurero at Maintenance Staff” similarly lets interested individuals donate cash to the daily wage earners through GCash or PayMaya.
Posts can also be seen from laundrywomen, construction workers, household helpers and street sweepers, among others.
One of the posts of the group’s administrator noted that they have other groups specified for persons with disabilities, construction workers and street vendors.
Victims of COVID-19
Daily wage earners are among the most affected by the enhanced community quarantine which calls for onsite work suspension in a bid to restrict movement and contain the novel coronavirus.
It is expected to be lifted by May 1, 2020.
To support low-income families, the government plans to give cash assistance through the social amelioration program where each household is supposed to receive P5,000 to P8,000, depending on their region’s minimum wage rate.
Those eligible for cash assistance are the following:
- Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pilipino Pamilyang Pilipino Program
- Informal economy workers (directly hired or occasional workers)
- Subcontracted workers
- Home workers
- House helpers
- Public transportation drivers (PUVs, pedicabs, tricycles and TNVS)
- Microentrepreneurs and producers
- Family enterprise owners
- Sub-minimum wage owners
- Farmers
- Employees affected by the no-work, no pay policy
- Stranded workers
- Solo parents
- Distressed overseas Filipino workers
- Indigent Indigenous Peoples
- Homeless individuals
- Other household members in the vulnerable sector (senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant and lactating women)
Local celebrities and musicians have also pitched in to support daily wage earners and the urban poor through donation drives.
Some of them include Bela Padilla, Maine Mendoza, Matteo Guidicelli, indie band Ben&Ben and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, among others.