Food delivery riders in Cebu seek immediate suspension of delivery permit fees

The National Union of Food Delivery Riders-Cebu hold a press conference on Thursday. | CDND photo / Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The National Union of Food Delivery Riders-Cebu welcomed Executive Order No. 41 which suspends the collection of ‘pass-through’ fees by local government units from vehicles that are transporting goods.

The new EO aims to lower logistics costs and help prevent further increases in the prices of basic commodities.

In a press conference on Thursday, the union of the riders in Cebu, said that the implementation of the EO, which President Ferdinand Marcos signed last Sept. 25, was also a big help for them.

They said that delivery riders would normally get P1,200 for the 12 to 15 hours of work. But part of their earnings will have to be set aside for the payment of delivery permit fees.

And while majority of the local government units in Cebu do not charge pass through fees to delivery riders, they still spend at least P2,000 per year to secure delivery permits in the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, Riders-Cebu Provincial Coordinator Jefren Abalo said.

In order for them to be able to enter the tri-cities, they needed to pay P780 per year for a delivery permit in Cebu City, P570 in Mandaue City and P470 in Lapu-Lapu City.

Abalo said they had to shoulder the cost since these are not shouldered by the food delivery company that they work for.

“Dako nang tabang sa amo, mura’g naibtan mi og tunok ba nga kana’ng kapin P1,500 nga delivery fee, amoa magamit sa lain nga amoang gamitanan,” he said.

Abalo said they are now looking forward to the EO’s immediate implementation in Cebu because this will also benefit the 15,000 union members.

“Unta ma-implemen na ni, hopefully sad mohatag sila og announcement dili lang sa ila opisina nga ila ma-post sa ila’ng mga page para mahibaw-an, nga wala na delivery permit ug wala na say madakpan. Kini makahatag sad og alibyo sa amoang kauban nga walay permit karun nga dili na sila kinahanglan magtago-tago kung makakita sila og enforcer nga mao usay mahinungdan nga madisgrasyaan sa mga riders,” said Riders-Cebu Provincial Coordinator Ariel Sarsaba.

Sarsaba said that the EO is also a partial fulfillment of their proposed Charter of Rights that aims to serve as the foundation for the development of policies and campaigns in uplifting local rider communities.

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