VIRAL: What the transport strike means to driver’s daughter studying in Ateneo

MANILA, Philippines – The transport strike of jeepney drivers on Monday, February 27, angered many students because they could not go to school. Others cheered because it meant another day off from classes. (READ: Transport strike: Why pick on jeepneys to fix traffic problems?)

But for Hya Bendaña, a scholar at Ateneo de Manila and daughter of a jeepney driver, the Monday protest meant a lot more.

She shared her sentiments about the strike in a Facebook post.

“Hindi lang to simply about suspension o kung paano makakarating ang mga mag-aaral sa Ateneo de Manila,” Bendaña said in her post. (This is not just about class suspension or how students could go to Ateneo de Manila.)

“This is about being in solidarity with those who are willing to sacrifice one day of their earnings to make a statement, para mapakinggan, kasi lagi nalang silang isinasantabi (to be heard, because they are always ignored),” she said.

Bendaña shared the sacrifice of his father Renato, a jeepney driver, whom she described as the “most hardworking person” she has ever known.

She said her father gave up the apartment he was renting for P1,500 a month in Manila and gave the money to their family in the province. He has since slept in the jeepney every night. 

“Nandun siya, nilalamok, nilalamig. Pwede ma-holdap anytime. At gabi-gabi akong nag-aalala at nagdadasal na sana, sa gabing ‘yun, ligtas ulit ang tatay ko.”

(He’s there, bitten by mosquitoes, feeling the cold. He can be held up anytime. And every night, I worry and pray for his safety.)

She also said her father sleeps at 12 midnight and wakes up at three o’clock in the morning. “Tatlong oras na tulog para sa maghapo’t magdamag na pamamasada sa kalsada,” Bendaña said. (Three hours of sleep for an all-day and all-night work on the road.)

Bendaña’s father is now plagued with back pain, but he still thinks about the needs of his daughter and family.

“Minsan tinatawagan niya ako asking if I have eaten.”Opo, nakakain na ako. Ikaw, Dada?” And he said bibayahe muna siya for another round bago siya kumain kahit three pm na nun at hindi pa siya nag-aalmusal,” Bendaña said. 

(Sometimes, he’d call me asking if I have eaten. “Yes, I have eaten. How about you, Dada (Daddy)? And he’d say that he’d still do another round even if it’s already 3 pm and he skipped breakfast.) 

Bendaña encouraged everyone to listen to the call of jeepney drivers like his father.

“Minsan lang. Minsan lang sila magsalita. Makinig naman tayo. Makiisa naman tayo. Kahit isang araw lang,” she said. They rarely speak out. Let’s listen to them. Let’s cooperate at least for a day.)

She ended her post saying that the transport strike was about being in solidarity with those who went out to speak for themselves. – Rappler.com

Cathrine Gonzales is a Rappler intern. She is also a graduating student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines