The Full Story

Right from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers are highly those who the world identifies as the people fighting in the front lines in this war between humankind and a deadly virus. However, other than healthcare workers, there are also various groups of workers that society pays little attention to. These groups of workers are unheard of despite being in the front lines as well, fighting vulnerably compared to those who are of medical profession.

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“Essential workers are frontliners, too” quoted from a PUJ driver named, Melvin Alinsob who has been in service for 8 years on the road driving the jeepney. As a PUJ driver, it has been very difficult for him to sustain his needs since there is hardly any income at all for his job in the middle of a pandemic. According to Alinsob, he could clearly see the drastic change of being a PUJ driver during and before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Before the pandemic started, I could earn enough for a living everyday. Now, however, I can hardly make enough in a day to provide for the needs of my household and feed my family. We are all affected by this pandemic where we are in a state of losses and hardship. In my situation, it is already fortunate to earn 300 pesos for a day. The poor would already be delighted to have this much amount of money at a time like this. It is fortunate that I could buy 1 kilo of rice and a half kilo of bulad,” said Alinsob.

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Frontline workers do not only limit to the medical field of healthcare workers alone but also include the demographic group of workers that receive lower-income wages on average. Namely, a few such as, cashiers in grocery stores, janitors, security guards, barangay officers, delivery men, truck, and PUJ drivers.

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Being in the front lines, Alinsob openly expressed his distress. With his job, it is very concerning for him as a PUJ driver. He could get quite worried because it would be dangerous for his family when he has to go outside to return home, exposed - possibly carrying the virus with him. Aside from being concerned for the health and wellbeing of his family, he also experiences struggling financially.

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“There are times where I cannot even rent or use the jeepney and yet, I still need to pay for it. The owner could care less about whether I profited or not. They would think I have extra money to spare but truthfully, I don’t especially with the situation where commuters are scarce. This is really my biggest problem,” Alinsob mentioned. He further added about his situation on the road saying, “Sometimes, I would even encounter rude people and have to deal with them. I also have to be quick against my fellow jeepney drivers so I could have passengers in my jeepney. 

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Despite being mistreated at times and struggling everyday just to get by, Alinsob answered without hesitation when he was asked if he ever thought about quitting his job as a PUJ driver when he could not earn well in this pandemic. He said, “Ay…I could never stop. I have never thought about quitting because we have no other source of livelihood. There is no helping it when this is really just how life is.”

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This is all that Melvin Alinsob could do and see life as a PUJ driver striving against the COVID-19 pandemic. However, like many health workers, he is putting his life on the line. He is risking every single day, exposing himself without any protective gears and equipment aside from merely having a face shield and a mask to wear on a daily basis compared to medical frontliners.

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These overlooked groups of workers like Alinsob,  are just as important for society to pay more attention to.  Just because these people are not health workers does not mean they do not deserve to be recognized as workers working in the front lines as well, risking their lives.

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Alinsob ended sharing his story saying, “I am thankful for this interview because at least unheard life stories of front liners like myself, are able to give a message on how equally hard the situation is for us, fighting through the COVID-19 pandemic.”