MOTORCYCLE ride hailing services provider Angkas said it will deploy 1,000 riders to provide free rides to medical frontliners in Metro Manila beginning Saturday, August 8, 2020.
It also donated 1,000 motorcycle barriers, which will be distributed to healthcare workers through the Joint Task Force (JTF) Covid Shield.
The barriers were turned over on Friday morning, August 7, to Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and JTF commander Guillermo Eleazar in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Eleazar said medical frontliners may avail themselves of free Angkas rides at the Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc, East Avenue Medical Center, Tala Hospital, National Kidney Institute, Quezon City General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Maynila and Fabella Hospital.
The free rides will last until the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) over Metro Manila is lifted.
These are aimed at easing the distress experienced by healthcare workers who are in the thick of battle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“Itong ating mga health workers probably sa umaga okay pa ‘yung biyahe nila masigla pa pero after their shift ito yung mga pagod na so naka standby sila do’n para ihatid sila ng bahay... and after that pwedeng may arrangement na sila ang susundo kinabukasan kung sakali,” he said.
(Our healthcare workers are usually exhausted after their shift so Angkas riders will bring them home.)
Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said Angkas will compensate the 1,000 drivers who will be offering free rides to the healthcare workers.
He warned that those who charge their passengers would be stripped of membership.
“Alam po ng Angkas biker ang penalty na mangyayari kapag sinuway po nila ‘yung instructions ng Angkas management - disbarment from Angkas so matatangal po sila sa Angkas forever. So mahirap po ‘yun sa kanila,” he said.
Other Angkas riders are now engaged in providing other services such as delivery of foods and other goods.
Eleazar said Angkas dispatchers will coordinate with the police over the transport of healthcare workers from areas other than the hospitals.
“So we will be monitoring and coordinating with them so when we receive information kung saan kailangan itong mga Angkas riders, natin then sasabihin natin through Angkas para mapadala sa mga areas na ‘yun,” said Eleazar.
He said JTF will distribute the barriers through the local police offices in Metro Manila.
Metro Manila, along with the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, were reverted to MECQ following the appeal of healthcare workers for tighter restrictions to slow the spread of Covid-19. (SunStar Philippines)