Page 22 - FINAL Holy Spirit SP 2016

Typhoon Haiyan: Report from Tacloban

Some notes on the livelihood project with the pedicab drivers and the fishermen of Baranggay 89 and 90 of
Baranggay Payapay
With the pedicab drivers
• Sixteen pedicabs were made in Cebu City. They were transported to Ormoc, courtesy of a Philippine navy
ship. From Ormoc, two army trucks brought them to Tacloban. Ten pedicabs have already been given to the
pedicab drivers on Dec. 19-20. Earlier, the project community organizer validated their names with barang-
gay officials as residents of the baranggay.
• Each driver will contribute PhP 10 daily to a group fund towards helping other pedicab drivers who do not
yet have pedicabs to eventually obtain one. A passenger pays a minimum of PhP 10 per ride, depending on
the distance travelled.
• Additionally, each one will contribute PhP 10 daily towards a common fund. In case the pedicab needs to be
repaired and the driver has no means to pay for repair costs, he can draw from from this common fund.
• The above and other related matters (e.g., the pedicab cannot be sold, leased or rented out) are contained in
a memorandum of agreement between a pedicab driver and the SSpS. 11,
• Materials – such as the Sta. Clara marine plywood – for the bancas were bought in Surigao.
• In our first meeting in November with the Baranggay residents we identified 48 fishermen. Since then, at
least 22 men have come forth and inquired if they can also avail of bancas; hence, the number of materials
bought is good for 70 bancas.
• We learned one of the best banca makers in the country come from Surigao. Two Surigao banca makers
came with the materials. They came on a shipping vessel from Surigao to Lilo-an, Leyte; then by land to
Tacloban on a 10-wheeler truck and a smaller one.
• The fishermen have grouped themselves into three – each group will alternate in helping the banca makers
make the bancas. Help is in terms of carpentry work on the bancas since some of the fishermen know how
to do carpentry. Some of them also know how to paint so they will be the ones to paint. The Surigao banca
makers are supervising them.