What it Takes to Put Food on the Table
By Pilar Toribio | May 26, 2024
As a boarding student, I find myself mindlessly scrolling through food apps more so than accomplishing important readings. The idea of clicking any restaurant at your fingertips, ordering at any given time of the day, with really no effort at all, and having food arrive in just a few minutes can be addicting. Especially when one is too tired to cook after a long and difficult day, the instant relief of a warm and convenient meal to get you through the night is a rare luxury. And yet, regardless of how little budget I have, I always find myself ordering another the following day.
But looking beyond the plastic containers and brown paper bags begs the question: Do these riders even have enough to put food on their tables?
The answer is an unfortunate no.
I like to rationalize that my constant ordering of food is simply my way of helping these individuals keep a steady flow of income. After all, with the shockingly high prices of restaurants, most of which are double the store-bought amount, these riders must be receiving a decent cut for their services. However, a simple peek through the looking glass reveals the opposite — with most riders barely making the minimum daily wage.
On May 19, over 150 Foodpanda delivery riders working in Baguio rallied for their second city-wide strike, with the first being held on May 11. However, with many users still unaware of such struggles existing in the first place, it makes one question just how unrecognized the scope of the issues actually is, and just how far these conglomerate companies are willing to go to protect their reputation.
Earning Close to Nothing
National Union of Food Delivery Riders (Riders) Spokesperson John Jay Chan, was present at the most recent rally. He said in a speech that Foodpanda allows more flexibility and freedom regarding their overall schedule, more so than a typical employer. However, with delivery fees ranging from 51 pesos to 61 pesos only — it means that the only true earners are the merchants or business owners themselves.
Riders, on the other hand, are forced to shoulder gasoline, phone bills, and equipment needed to accomplish their job–essentially earning close to nothing. Furthermore, tight competition from other riders makes the ideally straightforward process of booking difficult and harder to garner profit.
As Riders spokesperson, Chan, had said, “Alam natin na tayo mga delivery rider dito sumasagot ng operational expenses. Gas, load, maintenance — even gamot niyo kapag sumasakit. Despite na lahat [ng] benepisyo ay tayo sumasagot, binabaan pa rin [ng] Foodpanda yung fare ng mga rider.”
The Right to Due Process
Aside from the mentioned hurdles to earn enough pay, there is also the lack of due process provided to these riders — such as sudden long-term suspensions and unspecified salary deductions.
Last July 2021, a Foodpanda rider from Davao by the name of Edmund Carillo participated in a silent protest against the company by taking a day off without prior notice. He was then unfairly suspended from the company for 10 years, causing immediate public backlash once the story broke out.
Despite promises from Foodpanda for better services for their riders in the future, such incidents as Carillo’s are still ongoing to this very day.
Foodpanda rider Alberto, who was present during the recent strike in Baguio, provided his sentiments regarding the lack of due process amongst his colleagues.
He said that suspension can range from fraud, and can last for as long as two days depending on the offense. He mentioned that these are a daily occurrence for some, even though the basis of such offenses is customer error. Still, it is the riders themselves who unjustly shoulder these consequences.
High Risk, Low Reward
Alberto had also said that there is little insurance for riders when it comes to coverage for accidents and, in worst-case scenarios, death.
Although the Department of Labor and Employment issued Labor Advisory №14, a law meant to protect freelance workers such as food delivery riders by establishing their rights and standard working conditions, it is still insufficient in terms of actual implementation.
As said by Chan in a past interview with the Philippine Collegian, riders must first pay for their own medical expenses prior to their compensation. Even so, there are strict regulations and fee limitations for such insurance policies, according to Foodpanda’s website.
For example, daily incomes are only 500 pesos per day if the rider encounters an accident during a delivery and is hospitalized. However, this only lasts for the first 20 days after the reported incident. Once the 20 days have lapsed, the riders are expected to cover for themselves.
Not only that, but accidents causing death or permanent disability only allow for the rider’s families to earn 250 thousand pesos, with an additional 10 thousand pesos for burial fees — just barely enough to cover.
How is it possible that Foodpanda can simply value human life for a mere figure of a few hundred pesos? In what ways are such “insurance policies” even ethical in the first place?
Not Too Late
Overall, it is clear how much further Foodpanda has to go before they can even properly compensate their workers. Their salary, rights, and even insurance have much to be improved upon. However, it is crucial that these valiant riders, most of whom we do not appreciate despite our constant use of their services, continue fighting for sufficient treatment and justice.
In fact, it was the first Foodpanda rally last May 11 that allowed for the company to abolish their “manual system.” A system that unfairly lowered the earnings of riders seemingly overnight without prior establishment or briefing as to how such a new system operated. It was through their protest that the company gave in to their demands, and rightfully so they did.
However, it is still not enough.
Therefore, as students and, for some frequent Foodpanda users, it is our job to also champion the rights of the riders that put food on our tables. After all, it is the very least we can do to help ensure that there will always be food on theirs.
