72-year-old Elmer Cordero, the oldest of six displaced jeepney drivers arrested back in June for protesting their loss of livelihood amid the nationwide quarantine, has been given a new source of income with his newly opened sari-sari store in front of his home in Caloocan.
Jeepney drivers’ union Piston updated netizens about Cordero’s new store on September 5, 2020, as the transport group thanked the public for their donations to fund the project and encouraged support for providing elderly drivers such as Cordero with an alternate source of livelihood in trying times.
“Patuloy kaming kumakatok sa inyong puso na tulungan si Tatay at iba pang Senior Citizen na driver na magkaroon ng alternatibong kabuhayan. Ang mga driver na tumanda na sa pasada ay walang benepisyo mula sa gobyerno. Lalo na ngayon na tinanggalan sila ng kabuhayan, wala silang pantustos sa pangangailangan sa pagkain at kalusugan,” the transport group wrote.
Cordero started his small store from the donations that came pouring in after he and the others “Piston 6” drivers’ plight moved many.
You can reach out to Piston’s displaced jeepney drivers with cash and in-kind donations by contacting their Facebook page here.
Many individuals and organizations have started initiatives to aid displaced jeepney drivers amid the pandemic.
A jeepney art fund drive assisted displaced jeepney drivers plying the routes of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman) during the city’s modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
Angel Locsin’s “Iba ‘Yan!” program gave an elderly couple living in a jeepney a new home and source of livelihood.
The iconic Philippine jeepney has meanwhile managed to stay on the road after reinventing itself as the LalaJeep of the Lalamove delivery business.
SEND WELL WISHES in the comments below to jeepney driver Elmer Cordero and other elderly drivers who are being helped by the Piston donation drive.
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