At the rate the country is managing the Covid-19 pandemic, an economic crisis is obviously seen in the picture. Jeepney, bus, taxi, and tricycle drivers as well as the TNVS drivers feel the pain of financial breakdown.

While the national government leaders are doing their best to undertake the best there is on health protocols, people are suffering in their livelihood. Millions of employees have lost their jobs as entrepreneurs have no recourse but ceased operations. The quarantine halting public transportation has been a misery for public utility vehicle drivers.

What is then the future of these drivers?
***
Bacolod City under MECQ
Residents of this sugar city are in a quandary as to the honest reason why its local government leaders have asked the National IATF to place the city under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

The city started the month of September under general community quarantine but all of a sudden the city government begged the national leaders for the city to return to MECQ status. Many were surprised at this sudden transition, resulting to economic breakdown anew. Drivers are again banned on the roads and the police controlled the entry of Negrenses to the city premises.

“Is the city truly in a pandemic breakdown that the MECQ status was needed?” asked a retired banker.

“Does the city’s leadership has no heart for the public losing income due to the MECQ?” an employee tearfully asked.

What is next to happen for Bacolod residents who are employees of various affected businesses?

***
Online schooling
Private schools have commenced online education utilizing the poor signals of the two telcos. This is the common sentiment of thousands of students and even parents who have to assist their children who are not so keen on computers.

While the online education is meant to have a good intent, the poor services of the telcos are a great dismay. Some students have to go to computer shops or coffee shops with strong wifi connections in order to work on their schooling activities.

Telco signals are not of easy access in all areas in the country. Even when the country’s president has warned them of their poor services, these companies have done nothing significant. Everyone will just have to bear with the situation then.
***
Airlines are suffering
One could not imagine the magnitude of financial losses that the airline companies in the country and even worldwide are facing during this time of Covid-19 pandemic. Just imagine how many aircrafts an airline company has to maintain to lease and operate. Imagine the thousands of airline employees affected by the pandemic from the pilots to flight attendants to ground crew to engineering and maintenance group, and more.

It looks like the airline owners have to dole out billions of its investments to maintain a team of executives and maintenance groups to ensure that the aircrafts are in their healthy conditions. That is quite a fortune to maintain without revenue coming in.

The local government leaders are the hope of the airlines for them to operate again. Travel by air could happen if local government units approve the entry of passengers to their respective cities and provinces. That is how the airline companies have to bear it all./WDJ