Driver
Ayman et al 2020 states that the number of passengers decreased by more than half at
the height of COVID- 19 pandemic (July, 2020). The protocols and policies
implemented, the risk of getting infected, and the unemployment affected the demand of
public transportation that also influenced the income of public transportation drivers.
In this study, tricycle driver participants revealed that most of them experience that their
income was affected by the COVID- 19 pandemic due to the protocols implemented:
(Participant 6) Siguro mayda mga 9,000 kada bulan saktuhay la pero yana
waray na. Amo man gihap adto( waray pa pandemic) hiya maupay kay maupay
man an pamasada ha kawayan kay syempre may mga estudyante damo an mga
pasaheros. Yana waray na. Apinas ngani maka 200 yana magkulop it iya
income.
This was supported by another participant who stated that the number of passengers
who ride public vehicles lessened due to the pandemic. According to participant 3, his
income is not enough to provide for his family since the number of people who can
travel were limited by the government since the spread of the virus. He said, “Kulang
kay pirahay man la, kulang man tawo. Kulang man nagkikinalakat an yana nga
pandemic”. According (Puccinell et al.2021) the physical activity significantly reduced
during the social distancing period of the pandemic. This case directly affects the
number of commuter for the public transportation thus, affecting the livelihood of the
drivers during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Self-sustaining Alternatives
Home Gardening
(Ma et al., 2021) During the pandemic, international and local restrictions impacted
market trade and food systems, increasing the risk of food insecurity and
disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as the poor and rural areas. Home
food gardening heightened in relevance during the pandemic due to lockdowns and its
contribution to fresh food provision (Sofo and Sofo, 2020).
Participant 20: Nag uutan- utan la han amon mga tanom. Dako talaga na bulig kun
waray na pansura labi na kay makuri an pagpakabuhi, adi pa na permi malain it
panahon. Maupay nala nakakagtanom, nakakakaon gud man la gihap hin masustansya.
The participants saw home food gardening as an alternative way to sustain their food
essentials before and during the lockdowns, they were able to sustain themselves
through planting vegetables and root crops on their farms, front yards and/or backyards.
Micro Business
In the start of the surge of COVID- 19 pandemic, a lot of businesses were forced to
close down. According to World Bank, 70.6% of micro, small, and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) in the Philippines were forced to temporarily close due to the COVID-19
outbreak. However, some of the participants saw micro business as an alternative
source of income during the pandemic aside from fishing, driving, or farming.
Participant 18: Danay ako nagtitinda hin dunot ngan saging kun meada ha amon uma.
Nagkakatirok gad kun nakakahalin pero ginpapalit man dayon.
Micro business such selling delicacies and snacks helps some participants sustain the
needs of their families however this is not enough to cover all the needs of the
household especially to some cases where the capital of some micro businesses are
from loans.
Participant 2: Mayda gad kay nagutang ako hin—nagtitinda man ako, nagutang ako hitun na mga AXA,
sugad hitun amo nak ginpuhunan pagtinda.
Consuming of Own Goods
(Macusi et al., 20221). Fishing and mobility of fish products had been difficult for
fishermen during the surge of COVID- 19 pandemic, providing and putting food on the
table was also difficult for fishermen household which may result to inadequate food or
worse, malnutrition. As an alternative way to sustain for their families, fishermen
consumes most of their own catch to feed their families since they can only sell their
catch in a very affordable price and it is the main source of food in their community.
Ma, N. L., Peng, W., Soon, C. F., Noor Hassim, M. F., Misbah, S., Rahmatz, Z., et al. (2021). Covid-19
pandemic in the lens of food safety and security. Environ. Res. 193:110405. doi:
10.1016/j.envres.2020.110405
Sofo, A., and Sofo, A. (2020). Converting home spaces into food gardens at the time of COVID-19
quarantine: all the benefits of plants in this difficult and unprecedented period. Hum. Ecol. 48, 131–
139. doi: 10.1007/s10745-020-00147-3
Macusi, E. D., Macusi, E. S., Jimenez, L. A., and Catam-isan, J. P. (2020). Climate change
vulnerability and perceived impacts on small-scale fisheries in eastern Mindanao. Ocean Coast.
Manag. 189:105143. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105143
