DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A labor group did not buy Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s “ChickenJoy Challenge” to entice Davao residents to stay at home in quarantine.
Instead, they urged her to address the social assistance of workers and public utility drivers affected by the lockdown.
Duterte-Caprio made this challenge on a radio interview Wednesday, saying she will give a reward of 10,000 pieces of Jollibee ChickenJoy to one of Davao City’s six cluster areas that can maintain the lowest count of Covid-19 patients.
But Kilusang Mayo Uno Southern Mindanao spokesman PJ Dizon said this challenge “will not ease the worries and the hungry stomachs of Dabawenyos, nor assure that people will stay at their homes.”
Dizon said the mayor should instead address the economic woes of Davao citizens who have lost their income because of the quarantine.
“The mayor’s clout would be better channeled to address the economic woes of her constituents, especially the thousands of workers and jeepney drivers who have received little or no social support from national or local government,” Dizon said.
KMU pointed out that only 12,580 of the 1.1 million workers in Davao Region 11 were approved to receive the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP). However, DOLE had suspended acceptance of more applications last week due to depleted funds.
Some 4,000 Jeepney drivers have not availed of the city government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD). Dizon said some of the drivers complained to have only received P1,980 as assistance this month.
The labor group also pointed out that only 73 of Davao City’s 182 barangays have submitted a final list of beneficiaries for the Social Amelioration Program, as reported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“We believe that with the city’s resources and mayor’s clout, the city government can speed up and broaden the provision of relief goods to these sectors who have served as a vital cog of the city’s economy,” Dizon urged.
“If people’s socio-economic and health needs were met in this crisis, then everybody will have joy beyond Chickenjoy,” he added.
The city has implemented since Monday, April 20, a cluster system based on the city’s six geographical districts to constrict citizen’s movements within their respective clusters.
The city has recorded 98 cases as of April 23, with Cluster 1 comprising downtown Poblacion and Talomo having the most Covid-19 positive cases with 45 followed by Cluster 2 of Agdao District with 23.(davaotoday.com)
