Food delivery riders wait for their orders outside a mall in Ermita, Manila. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — Amid the soaring prices of commodities in the country, a group cries “unfair wages” claiming that some delivery riders earn as low as P15 per trip due to stiff competition.
During Tuesday’s Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development hearing, presided over by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, United Delivery Riders of the Philippines (Riders-Sentro) spokesperson John Jay Chan shared the plight of delivery riders like himself.
“Ang pinaka-pressing issue po ngayon na hinaharap po ng ating mga delivery riders is ‘yung unfair na wages. Since kami po ay freelance, wala po kaming naka-fix na arawan na sahod.
(The most pressing issue that delivery riders face right now is unfair wages. Since we are freelancers, we do not have a fixed daily income.)
“Nakadepende po kami sa dami po ng orders at bookings na pumapasok po sa’min. However po, sa kasalukuyan po ay meron po tayong unfair na fare matrix na kung saan napakababa po ng ibinibigay sa mga delivery riders,” Chan narrated.
(We depend on the number of orders and bookings that we receive. However, currently, we have an unfair fare matrix wherein riders receive very low delivery compensation.)
According to Chan, ride-hailing and delivery firm GrabFood offers the highest base fare per trip, amounting to P45 per delivery in Metro Manila. He noted that the base fare in the provinces are lower.
A delivery rider averages to 10 to 20 trips per day, he said.
From their earnings, they will deduct their fuel expenses and other operational costs.
Chan blamed the low base fare to “competition” and stressed that riders are the ones suffering from it.
“Sa isang panayam po na nakuha natin galing po sa Pampanga, ang dinahilan daw po ng admin ng GrabFood doon is nalulugi daw po ang company kaya kailangan daw po nila magbaba para makasabay po sa kompetensya,” the spokesperson said.
(From an interview in Pampanga, GrabFood told the rider that they are losing profit, that is why they need to lower their rates to keep up with the competition.)
Other riders even receive as low as P15 from another delivery firm, said Chan citing reports he received.
“Ang mas malala lang po sa FoodPanda, wala po silang way — ‘yung mga riders —na mabilang kung paano sila binabayaran. So, kung magkano lang po ang sabihin ni FoodPanda na bayad sa kanila, ‘yun lang po.
(What’s worse is with FoodPanda. Riders do not have a way to know how they are paid. So, whatever amount FoodPanda says, that’s it.)
“May mga reports na dumating ang bayad po sa kanila ay pinakamababa is P15 para sa delivery sa Davao po. Meron pong mga P20 plus sa isang delivery kaya napakababa,” he further recounted.
(There are reports that said the lowest they received is P15 in a delivery in Davao. Some received P20 per delivery which is very meager.)
Aside from the low wages, Riders-Sentro is also struggling with “hard to avail” insurance and firms preventing riders from forming a union. With reports from Trisha Manalaysay, INUIRER.net trainee