Nagpahayag ng suporta ang ilang celebrities kontra sa napipintong pagkawala ng trabaho ng libu-libong empleyado ng motorcycle ride-hailing app na Angkas.
Sa isang pahayag nitong Sabado, December 21, sinabi ng transport network company (TNC) na 17,000 biker-partners nito ang mawawalan ng trabaho sa 2020.
Ito ay matapos na limitahan ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) sa 10,000 ang registered riders ng bawat TNC sa Metro Manila, at hanggang 3,000 riders naman sa Metro Cebu.
Ayon sa official statement ng ride-hailing firm na ipinost sa Facebook nitong Sabado, sa kasalukuyan ay mayroon itong 27,000 registered riders.
Iginiit ni George Royeca, chief transport advocate ng kumpanya, na ang direktiba ng LTFRB ay “a compromise to the quality of service you can expect, and A DIRECT BLOW TO OVER 17,000 FILIPINO FAMILIES.”
Sa huling bahagi ng pahayag, umapela ang kumpanya sa publiko na i-share ang panawagan nito upang maisalba ang hanapbuhay ng 17,000 riders.
CELEBRITIES RALLY BEHIND 17,000 RIDERS
Mag-aalas dos ng umaga nitong Sabado nang i-retweet ni Bianca Gonzalez ang statement ng ride-hailing firm.
Binanggit ng TV host-social media influencer ang “napakaraming umaasa” sa serbisyo ng kumpanya kontra traffic.
Post ni Bianca: “Napakarami ang umaasa sa Angkas para mabawasan ang oras nila sa trapik, at imbis, mas magka oras sila sa pamilya.
“Tapos ngayon, higit sa kalahati ng riders, tatangalin? Pero wala namang kapalit na viable, efficient public transport? #SAVEANGKAS.”
Napakarami ang umaasa sa Angkas para mabawasan ang oras nila sa trapik, at imbis, mas magka oras sila sa pamilya. Tapos ngayon, higit sa kalahati ng riders, tatangalin? Pero wala namang kapalit na viable, efficient public transport? #SAVEANGKAS https://t.co/Zwd7XMPEIE
— Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) December 21, 2019
Magkasunod ang tweets ng TV host na si Tim Yap bilang panawagang maisalba ang riders na mawawalan ng trabaho ngayong Pasko.
“It’s Christmas time. Don’t allow people to lose their jobs. Have a heart #SaveAngkas,” tweet ni Tim dakong 2:25 ng umaga nitong Sabado.
It’s Christmas time. Don’t allow people to lose their jobs. Have a heart #SaveAngkashttps://t.co/sja5DsADOb
— Tim Yap (@officialTIMYAP) December 21, 2019
Makalipas ang dalawang minuto, ni-retweet ni Tim ang official statement ng kumpanya: “Angkas is part of the solution. Not the problem #SAVEANGKAS.”
Angkas is part of the solution. Not the problem #SAVEANGKAS https://t.co/mNMJWUGRqX
— Tim Yap (@officialTIMYAP) December 21, 2019
Ang world-renowned singer-thespian na si Lea Salonga, binanggit kung paanong naiwasang ma-late ng mga kasamahan niya sa stage play na Sweeney Todd dahil sa paggamit ng naturang app.
Tweet ni Lea: “Not just a few of my Sweeney Todd colleagues were saved by Angkas.
“Thanks to this company, they made every single call time, on time. #SaveAngkas”
Not just a few of my Sweeney Todd colleagues were saved by Angkas. Thanks to this company, they made every single call time, on time. #SaveAngkas https://t.co/GWZEFetMDj
— Lea Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga) December 21, 2019
Dismayado rin ang restaurateur-vlogger na si Erwan Heussaff sa “ridiculous new regulations” ng gobyerno.
Tweet ni Erwan: “Probably one of the most innovative and Filipino first companies created in the last couple of years that has been attempting to help the public transportation system that no one has been able to fix, is now facing ridiculous new regulations.
“So disappointing @angkas #SAVEANGKAS.”
Probably one of the most innovative and Filipino first companies created in the last couple of years that has been attempting to help the public transportation system that no one has been able to fix, is now facing ridiculous new regulations. So disappointing @angkas #SAVEANGKAS
— Erwan Heussaff (@erwanheussaff) December 21, 2019
Nitong Linggo ng umaga, December 22, nagkasa ng #SaveAngkas Unity Gathering ang kumpanya sa Quezon City.
Bago mag-8:00 ng umaga, nag-retweet ang spoken poetry artist-actor na si Juan Miguel Severo ng news update tungkol sa protest rally ng mga biker-partners.
Caption ni Juan Miguel: “LABAN, MGA KUYA!!! #SaveAngkas”
LABAN, MGA KUYA!!! #SaveAngkas https://t.co/xlTgI2ATTC
— Juan Miguel Severo ????????? (@TheRainBro) December 21, 2019
Linggo ng gabi, binigyang-diin ni Gab Valenciano na mahalagang tulungan ang ride-hailing app hindi lang dahil sa epektibong serbisyo nito kontra traffic, kundi upang maisalba ang pinagkakakitaan ng napakarami nitong empleyado.
Tweet ni Gab: “Saving Angkas isn’t just about saving an app that allows us to travel quicker.
“It represents saving thousands of people from losing their jobs.
“Jobs that happen to feed their families, put a roof over their head and give them a purpose in life.
“Let us fight for them. #SaveAngkas”
Saving Angkas isn’t just about saving an app that allows us to travel quicker. It represents saving thousands of people from losing their jobs. Jobs that happen to feed their families, put a roof over their head and give them a purpose in life. Let us fight for them. #SaveAngkas
— Gabriel Valenciano (@gabvalenciano) December 22, 2019
Nag-trending worldwide sa Twitter ang #SaveAngkas nitong weekend.
LTFRB CONTRADICTS ANGKAS CLAIMS
Umabot sa libu-libo ang nakiisa sa Unity Gathering para sa ride-hailing firm sa White Plains, Quezon City, nitong Linggo.
Ito ay kahit pa kinontra na ng inter-agency technical working group (TWG) ng Department of Transportation (DOT), sa isang pahayag, ang official statement ng Angkas.
Ang TWG ay binubuo ng mga opisyal ng LTFRB at Land Transportation Office (LTO), na parehong nasasaklawan ng DOT.
Saad sa pahayag ng TWG: “The study to be conducted will look into the safety aspect of using motorcycles as a mode of public transportation, and is not bent on depriving motorcycle taxi riders of their livelihood as is being alleged by Angkas.”
Kinumpirma rin ng LTFRB na magkakaroon ng mga bagong motorcycle taxi operators sa bansa sa susunod na taon, gaya ng JoyRide at Move-It, para mas maraming options ang mga pasahero.
Ayon sa LTFRB, maaari namang lumipat sa dalawang bagong motorcycle ride-hailing services ang mga riders na made-deactivate sa Angkas.
