A day in a life of a 'LalaJeep' driver in the time of COVID-19

Many jeepney drivers have lost their income amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

They are still not allowed to resume operations, so some of them have been forced to beg for aid just to feed their families.

With the launch of the delivery service app using jeepneys in Quezon City, however, some of the drivers have been able to get back to work.

One of them is Ruben Lopez, who is among the first batch of jeepney drivers tapped for the "LalaJeep" project. He admitted that he is still trying to get used to the app.

"Sa technology parang nahihirapan ako. Parang naguguluhan pa ho ako eh kasi first time palang eh," he said in Ian Cruz' report for "24 Oras."

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After placing funds in his LalaMove account, Ruben immediately received a booking from a printing shop in Anonas. He transported boxes of papers to a provincial bus station.

"'Yung capacity ng ide-deliver eh marami siya tsaka medyo mabigat siya ng konti kaya naisip namin 'yung jeep, tsaka mura pati," said Tiny Pasumala, his customer.

Before Ruben finished unloading the boxes, he received another booking. This time, he headed to the UP Village to pick up vegetables from Rural Rising Philippines, a group helping farmers from the North to sell their produce.

"'Yung iba pong mga sasakyan lalo na mga SUV, ayaw magpasakay ng mga gulay, kamatis," said Bobby Diesta, the group's dispatcher. "So magandang pagkakataon 'to, 'yung ating mga jeepney driver, ito na po kayo na po ang mag-transport ng aming mga gulay at mga prutas."

Ruben delivered the vegetables to Project 6 and also helped unload the goods.

Within two hours, he already earned his boundary. Payment for his next deliveries will be allocated for gas and he can take home the rest for his family.

According to the Quezon City Hall, 30 drivers have been included so far in the LalaJeep project. They are targeting to expand this to 200 drivers.

"May limitations din naman po because masyadong masa-saturate po ang ating booking lalo na po sa Quezon City lang po ito allowed," said Mona Yap, an officer from the QC Small Business Cooperatives Development Office.

Quezon City has around 9,000 jeepney drivers. —MGP, GMA News