29/05/2023
Against the Odds: The Remarkable Resilience of Students Facing Daily Obstacles on Their Commute to School
By: Kim Angelo R. Dael
The sun was shining, and the crowing of the rooster outside Maria's room woke her up.
She looked at her phone and was surprised to see the time because there was only 1 hour left before her face-to-face class. She quickly got out of bed after her two hours of sleep from studying. She took a wash, and ate breakfast, then immediately ran out of the house. She waited for the school jeep or bus. It also takes time to obtain a ride because most public transportation is already full.
She had to deal with traffic after waiting for a while before finally getting a ride. The overall fare, which is 60 pesos, is significantly higher than the fare last year, which was 40 pesos.
She arrived at school with her disheveled hair and rumpled uniform after an hour's ride from Jasaan to CDO, and she missed her class. To her dismay, she had no choice but to return home right away or risk missing the exam online.
This school year, the university she attends implemented the flexible learning modality, which is a combination of online and face-to-face classes. Not just her university, but all of the schools, public and private, in the Philippines are now open, and students are sharing the experience of traveling.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has updated its standards for full face-to-face classes in higher education institutions, and the Department of Health (DOH) fully supports these efforts. In order to come up with the amended policy allowing students and HEI staff to take part in face-to-face classes regardless of immunization status, CHED engaged DOH and its health specialists.
"Always wake up early." That is Maria’s strategy to cope with her situation given her distance from home to school. She added, "I don’t know what I will encounter on the roads; that’s why I always come early."
According to the statement of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, a seamless blend of Home-Based Learning and Cautious Return to On-Campus Learning will be employed in Flexible Learning to minimize learning interruptions, guarantee learning continuity, and ensure that DepEd and/or CHED minimum criteria are satisfied.
The same situation applies to Engineer Rose Ramos, she lives at Jasaan and is a government worker at CDO while also taking up her master's degree at the same time. "The only difference is I am not discounted on fares," she added. "I don’t have a private car; I don’t have a choice."
In contrast to the circumstances of Engr. Ramos and Maria, Ahmill de Guma, who lives at Del Pilar Street, Barangay 15, CdOC, is only 20 minutes away from his respective school. "I took advantage of the fact that I don't need to travel far just to get to school," Ahmill said. He rides his motorcycle to school and can choose his route to avoid traffic.
According to Dr. Cresencio Montalbo Jr.'s paper, "Public Transport Rationalization as a Means to Sustainability," 8.96 million Filipinos use the recognizable jeepneys each day, compared to 1.87 million who use buses.
A New Matrix for the New Normal
Pandemic is no longer a major concern for the majority of people. After President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 3, making mask use outside of less congested open spaces optional on September 20, 2022, the population in public areas is already increasing, as are the vehicles.
According to the research of Statista, in the Philippines, a poll on mobility conducted in June 2022 revealed that 29% of participants said their daily commute to work, school, or university took them an average of 15 to 29 minutes. In contrast, 26% of respondents reported their daily commute took them between 30 and 59 minutes.
Not only commuters, but also drivers, are attempting to survive the daily rigors of the road. Jasaan jeepney driver Ramil Lanzaderas travels 12 hours a day to earn his daily quota. "Lisod na sa panahon karon," he said after mentioning the new fare system given by the LTFRB.
Based on the statement of Aminoden G**o, LTFRB-10 director, A minimum fare of PHP14 for the first four kilometers and PHP2.20 for each additional kilometer will now be collected by modernized public utility vehicles (PUVs).
The LTFRB provided a new matrix to compensate for the skyrocketing price of gas last June.The price of petroleum had an impact on all sectors of the economy, particularly imports.The market around the world was affected by this, and even small or big businesses have no escape from it.
"Ang uban maka sabot, ang uban makipag away." Ramil said after dealing with many kinds of people everyday on the road. "Bisan na dugangan ang plite, kulang-kulang 500 ang among ma uli sa isa ka adlaw tungod sa pag taas sa gasoline ug sap ag abang sa jeep."
Traffic also poses a big problem for commuters and drivers. Vehicle congestion is unavoidable with so many roadblocks, ongoing road construction, and rush hours.That’s why City Mayor Rolando Uy acted upon these issues.
As officials anticipate an 8% increase in the number of vehicles in the regional center of Northern Mindanao, a 40-person team for quick response in traffic management was formed on October 2 by the city mayor. According to its description, the newly established Quick Response Team-Special Operations Group (QRT-SOP) will respond whenever traffic jams are reported and will control the flow of traffic to prevent the situation from getting worse.
In the article that Ateneo de Manila released in July 2022, titled "The Urgent call for Sustainable Mobility in Our Cities," it stated that it is not necessary to have more roads. The United Nations defines it as beneficial to our present and future, safe, economical, and well-organized while reducing the pollution in our environment.
When mass transit infrastructure is built, fewer people will use private vehicles, greatly reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. Using public transportation allows for less expensive, less-polluting, and less-congested travel.
How Inflation Changes Filipinos' Lives
Another solution that Maria and Eng. Ramos can choose to lessen the distance and the money that they spend on travel is to rent a boarding house. Both have similar explanations for why they are unable to obtain one: "The living expenses are higher."
"Thinking of how to budget your money and food while managing your work and school at the same time is a lot harder than traveling every day," as explained by Eng. Ramos. From the point of view of Maria, it is not yet worth it to rent a dorm because it is not fully face to face.
Another factor that is preventing them from renting a dorm is the increasing price of everything they need to attain to continue living alone.
The inflation rate in the Philippines, according to Trading Economics, has climbed to 7.7% in October 2022, up from 6.9% in August, breaking records of 7.1% in the market. With food prices rising at their fastest rate in four years (9.4% vs. 7.4% in September), it was the highest point since December 2008 and was close to the top end of the central bank's target range of 7.1% to 7.9% for the month.
While the inflation of food prices is high, it also includes PUVs. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, or PSA, the transport sector's inflation rate rose to 18.1% in July 2022. The nationwide provisional increase in PUJ (Public Utility Jeepney) rates was the main cause of this. As a result, the government would expedite the delivery of the second tranche of subsidies for PUJ drivers and operators because oil prices are still high.
The only other widely available solution for excessive inflation is monetary policy action by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), adjustments in interest rates, and bank reserve requirements to either boost or reduce the money supply in the larger financial system.
"If others can, I can survive too," Maria stated. With the flexible learning system, it has been difficult for her and her colleagues. "It’s hard to think about your online class while attending your face-to-face class." The burden on students has been doubled, causing a lot of confusion for their schedules.
It’s all about flexibility and perseverance these days. Traveling 32.4 km every day may be hard to understand, but there’s a reason for that. Maria, who endures the traffic, heat, expenses, and other things that make her tired every day, will find it hard to stop her passion for learning.
We are already feeling the old normal coming back. The streets are getting busy, traffic is getting worse day by day, and it’s a matter of time before we get used to the experience that we lost due to the pandemic. People nowadays are adapting to the developing world.
“Surviving college for me is not dependent on what has already happened in my life or what can happen in the future,” Maria said. “It is being present in the present and working from within so that I can achieve my goals and be proud of my progress. Yes, college isn't easy, but everything is possible, so long as you are determined to make it work”
