Lawmaker helps Pampanga drivers, vendors, farmers

FORMER House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano distributed financial aid to public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers, market associations, and farmers in Pampanga on Monday, June 7.

In a “Kumustahan at Bayanihan” with beneficiaries of his Presyo, Trabaho, Kita/Kaayusan (PTK) advocacy, Cayetano distributed P50,000 each to three Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations (Joda), two market associations, and one Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (Toda) from San Fernando and Guagua, Pampanga.

The 20 officers of the PTK groups received the financial aid along with grocery packs and immunity kits for the members on behalf of their respective associations.

The PTK groups are the Angeles-San Fernando Joda (Asferjoda), Angeles-San Fernando Compound Joda, Golden Group Gabay Puhunan Brotherhood Multi-Purpose Coop, Guagua Market Vendors Association (Samagu), and Guagua Zone 3 Toda.

“Syempre ang pinakagusto mong tulungan, ‘yung mga taong tinutulungan ang kanilang sarili (Of course I want to help those who are helping themselves),” Cayetano said.

The former Speaker launched the PTK program in 2013 to help cooperatives and associations around the country grow their livelihoods through capital given in tranches.

“Gawin ninyo [sa perang ito] kung ano ang tingin n’yo ay tama. Pautang man, ipambili ng bigas, et cetera,” he said, expressing his trust in the beneficiaries who have managed to multiply the capital they have previously received under the program.

(Use the money as you see fit. Loan it out, buy rice, and whatever you may need it for.)

Later in the day, 20 farmers from Guagua received P10,000 each under Cayetano’s Sampung Libong Pag-Asa initiative.

Reiterating how P10,000 cash assistance amid the pandemic is not a “dole-out,” the former Speaker encouraged the farmers to invest a part of it in their livelihood.

“Dapat po kasi ang farming ay negosyo eh, hindi lang ‘yan profession, hindi lang po ‘yan calling. ‘Yan po dapat ay agri-biz kasi negosyante din po kayo,” Cayetano said, citing the long-standing problem of low farm prices.

(Farming should be a business and not just a profession or calling. You should become agri-business owners also.)

“Kapag kayo’y pinakanangangailangan tapos may success story kayo, mas marami pong nagdo-donate,” he told the beneficiaries.

(If you have success stories to tell, more people will donate to you.)

He also called on the beneficiaries to urge the government to approve the 10K Ayuda Bill so every Filipino family can benefit from the direct stimulus.

“Kasi kung magbibigay tayo halimbawa ng P2,000 ngayon, sinong tatanggi? Pero yung P2,000, [pambabayad] utang mo lang yun sa sari-sari store, sa kuryente’t tubig, o kaya pang-isang linggo mong kakainin,” Cayetano said.

(If we give only P2,000, for example, who will refuse that? But P2,000 is only enough to pay your debts to the store, or to pay for electricity and water, or for one week’s worth of food.)

“Pero sa P10,000 kasi, babayaran mo konting utang, mabibili mo ng phone card ang anak mo kung kailangan niya ng internet sa pag-aaral, may matitira ka pang 4 or 5,000 kung gusto mong magnego-negosyo ng konti,” he added.

(But if you are given P10,000, you can pay off some debt, buy phone cards for your child who needs internet connection for online classes, and you will still have four or 5,000 that you can invest in a small business.)

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