Php5k cash relief aid keeps solo mom PUJ driver moving for her children

Before the city wakes, 57-year-old Maria Emma Alabado is already up.

Her small home in Sitio Palanas in Barangay Vasra, Quezon City hums with the quiet chaos of breakfast preparation and getting her daughters ready for school.

As a solo parent, Emma carries the weight of her family on her shoulders, each day a test of endurance and sacrifice.

By 7:00 a.m., she is on the road, maneuvering her jeepney through Quezon City’s busy streets.

But the joy of driving to support her family is now shadowed by worry. Diesel prices have skyrocketed. What once cost Php600-Php700 daily now consumes Php2,400-Php2,500 of her hard-earned money.

“Ang hirap. Kaya nung Friday, hindi ako namamasada kasi ikot kami nang ikot. Ang dami namin (jeep) Konti lang ang kinikita naming pera na iuuwi kasi napupunta sa diesel,” Emma says.

Some mornings, the numbers are staggering. After three full rounds, she earned a total of Php1,150 but with the high price of diesel, her take-home earning is a measly Php50.

For a single mom who drives a jeepney for a living, every peso must be stretched, every peso calculated.

“Mahirap po. Nahirapan din ako. Meron kasi akong dalawang anak, puro babae. Diyan talaga ako nagsumikap. Ako lang lahat-lahat diyan ang nagpaaral. Pangarap ko talaga na yung mga bata matapos,” Emma laments.

Yet Emma persists. Her eldest is a college graduate, and her youngest is in Grade 1. Both shine academically, which pushes her to strive more to earn money.

Every long hour under the punishing sun is for their future. But with each spike in fuel costs, even her resilience is tested.

Then came a lifeline for all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers.

In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided a Php5,000 cash relief assistance to Metro Manila PUV drivers under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

On March 25, Emma received her Php5,000 and immediately spent P1,500 for diesel and from some of the balance, she bought medicine for her daughter.

“Ngayon nabigyan po ako ng ayuda ng DSWD, Php5,000. Unang una magpapa-diesel ako ngayon, papadiesel ako, ifull tank ko. At bibili pa ako ng gamot, may ubo kasi ang bunso ko. Bukas kung magkulang pa rin ako, kukunin ko na naman yung tira ng pera ko doon galing sa DSWD,” Emma happily shared.

Emma also set aside some of the cash aid to buy milk and other food items for her family.

“Masayang-masaya ako ngayon dahil nabigyan niyo kami ng tulong sa fuel subsidy. Ang laking tulong sa amin lahat, pati sa, hindi lang sa akin, kundi sa lahat ng kasama kong mga tsuper,” Emma beams.

Emma’s story is a testament to the harsh reality facing countless jeepney drivers and solo parents across the Philippines.

On a daily basis, they navigate not only the roads but the crushing weight of skyrocketing fuel costs, an effect worsened by the geopolitical crisis in the Middle East.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako kay President Bongbong Marcos at sa DSWD na intindihan nyo talaga yung kahirapan ng nangyari ngayon sa mga driver,” Emma says.

In every sunrise, every round of her jeepney, and every carefully stretched peso for her children, Emma embodies a woman of resilience and strength. (KT)

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