Vice Ganda calls for concrete plans to help drivers amid fuel crisis

Vice Ganda made yet another pointed comment to the government, saying it doesn’t have concrete plans to help drivers survive the ongoing fuel crisis. 

During the “Laro Laro Pick” segment of “It’s Showtime” on April 18, Vice Ganda said many Filipinos have lost their jobs and are struggling to get by, among them contestants named Hapon and Ricky, both of whom are riders struggling to get by amid the crisis.

READ: Motorcycle taxi rider dies while lining up for cash aid in QC

In their conversations, the Bicol-based Hapon said he works odd jobs to support his family and sleeps on the streets of EDSA.

“Madaling araw, mga alas sais, [diba nakikita niyo po ‘yung mga] nagbibitbit ng mabigat? Basta tutulungan ko siya. Kung bibigyan ako or hindi, salamat (I would wake up at six in the morning and would help porters. Whether they give me money or not, I’m thankful),” he said. 

The game ended with Ricky advancing to the jackpot round and winning a cash prize of P200,000. Vice Ganda was seemingly moved by the drivers and gave out an additional P5,000 on top of the P1,000 consolation prize per round. 

Meanwhile, Vice also helped Hapon get home to Bicol to restart his life.

At some point during the segment, Vice Ganda called on government officials to use their resources to help drivers, as they’re the ones most severely affected by the crisis.

“Sana lang nanonood ang pamahalaan. Marami pong Pilipinong ganito ngayon, nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa taas ng presyo ng gasolina, lalong-lalo na ang mga drivers. Sila ang unang tinamaan ng krisis na ito, mga hindi na makapasada,” he said. 

“Makapasada man, wala naman kinikita. Ang tanong, ano ang plano niyo sa kanila? As a private citizen, you can always wish to help, pero hindi naman natin makakayanan lahat eh,” he continued.

(I hope the government is watching. Many Filipinos, especially drivers, lost their jobs due to high fuel prices. They’re the first ones affected by the crisis, especially since many of them can’t do their jobs properly. They might be able to finish a full day, but they’re not earning anything. What are your plans for them? As private citizens, you can always wish to help, but there’s only so much we can handle.)

On the same day, a motorcycle taxi rider died at the fuel subsidy distribution at the Quezon City Circle. At the time, he was lining up for cash relief as the fuel crisis continued to hit several parts of the country.

In response, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian called for his personnel to reach out to his family and employers. /edv