DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio appealed to employers of workers affected by the community quarantine and the upcoming enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic to provide the necessary assistance to their employees.
In a statement, the mayor urged employers to provide food assistance to their employees affected by the measures implemented in order to stop the spread of the Covid-19.
"I appeal to the employers of workers impacted by the community quarantine and the upcoming enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) because of Covid-19 to show compassion to their employees," Duterte-Carpio said.
She also emphasized that employers of workers who are still allowed to report for duty during the ECQ are also requested to provide transportation that will ferry their employees to and from work, provided that proper distancing is strictly observed.
The mayor also encouraged them to commission public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and hire drivers whose incomes were affected due to the effect of the Covid-19, as an "an act of goodwill that would be deeply appreciated."
"I appeal that you see through the plight of your workers, provide them with food assistance, and help them survive the crisis that swept through sectors and classes - but severely, those who barely make ends meet, including your workers," she said.
Duterte-Carpio said helping their workers is also one way of helping the local government in reaching out to those who are in need of food assistance and others.
She also said that this would assure that no one will starve until April 30, the least date the city mayor projected the implementation of the quarantine.
"The fight against the deadly Covid-19 is tough, but we will overcome this health crisis just like the way we did with the past challenges that came our way. Truly, there is nothing insurmountable for us. We only need to cooperate and help each other," the mayor said.
Duterte-Carpio said in a radio interview via 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio on Tuesday, March 31, that the City Government has provided its initial assistance such as the free bus rides, which kicked off on the same day, to affected public and private vital workers, and the distribution of the food and medicine (FM) passes for them.
The city provided free bus rides to five areas in the city, namely, Toril, Calinan, Lasang, Cabantian, and Mandug.
But she said the seating capacity of the augmented buses are not enough due to the strict compliance of the social distancing.
The buses, which have a sitting capacity of 50 seats, can only cater 25 passengers.
With the call to private establishments to have a carpool for their employees, the mayor said this would help the government lessen passengers who would rely on the free bus rides of the local government.
"In this way, makatabang sila to declog the free city buses, and makatabang sila sa mga jeepney drivers (We could help declog the free city buses, and help our affected jeepney drivers). That is not a law but we are suggesting to employers how they can help para macover tanan (to cover everyone)," Duterte-Carpio said.
She said the City Government is catching up in allocating its resources available to provide to everyone affected due to Covid-19.
The mayor said the public sector's support, especially those workers who would still be working despite the ECQ, is highly needed especially that the city might be declaring an ECQ to further mitigate the spreading of the dreadful virus, which would further affect them due to the problem in the mass transportation once it will be declared.