01/05/2026
| ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐?
The busy streets of Tuguegarao City are filled with the heavy sounds of tricycles. The revs of the accelerator fuel combustion in the engines of motorcycles, with customized sidecars, making the exhaust pipes convene like an orchestrated parade. However, the symphonies you hear aboard them are parallel to the loud, years-long call for driversโ rights, higher fare, and relevant subsidies.
Cataggaman Nuevo Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) member alias โManong Jeri,โ 37, has been in the industry of โpamamasadaโ since 2007. He heeds the call for equity, rights, and subsidies, not only for himself but also for his fellow tricycle drivers.
It was already past noon, but there was still a long line-up of tricycles, most still empty, during Labor Day in 2025. Manong Jeri was among the TODA members on-deck. When I approached him seated on a small bench for five along the narrow thoroughfare of the city plaza, he was busy writing notes in their ledger.
His fellow driver asked for my destination, but I was not preparing for a commute. From there, it was evident that only a few people would be commuting. The streets are wide and welcoming. It is Labor Day โ a non-working holiday. Yet, for tricycle drivers, there is no time for breaks. Not even on a holiday meant to honor them.
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ
The very first Labor Day in the Philippines was observed back in the 1st of May 1903 when over thousands of workers marched to Malacaรฑang who were demanding fairer working conditions from a then American-led government.
On the 8th of April 1908, the Philippine Congress passed a bill recognizing the 1st of May as a national holiday in the Philippines. The first ever celebration of Labor Day took place on the 1st of May 1913 when 36 unions convened a labor congress at the Cine Oriente in C.M. Recto Street.
Around 36 labor unions heeded the call to hold congress and unite under one umbrella, to fight for the rights of Filipino workers.
๐ง๐๐ด๐๐ฒโ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ
The โtricyโ is the main mode of public transportation used by students, workers, and senior citizens in navigating the city. Calle Commercio, serving as a major roadway in the business district, has seen wonders. It has been a spine of stories. Its asphalt, melted by the fervent sun, dampened by the weight of wheels, carry the bold message above the surface โ this fight is for the tricycle drivers and commuters. It is an imminent dilemma.
Manong Jeri said that the TODA of Barangay Cataggaman Nuevo and Cataggaman Viejo has always been placed in the city plaza, along a thoroughfare exiting the Tuguegarao City Commercial Center and towards southwest of the metro.
โKuntento na kami rito, kasi kapag nilipat, mas lalo kaming kawawa. Mahirap mag-adjust. Pati [ang] mga pasahero, [baka] hindi na nila alam kung saan pupunta,โ he said.
TODAs, often called โParkinganโ by most of us, are not just terminal spaces. It is an avenue of honorable charge of service. It is a home for tricycle drivers. And it houses a collective effort for the quest for genuine reform.
Manong Jeri has not been involved in any major traffic accident in 18 years of driving. He has been diligent in ensuring the safety of his passengers and in following traffic rules and regulations.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถโ๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต
What do tricycle drivers dream of, you may ask? Well, Manong Jeri says: โmotor parts [shop] para sa mga TODA na murang bilihan.โ
A number of tricycle drivers also hope for an increase in passenger fare, in turn it embodies their call for fair regulation and government subsidies on utilities.
โSa amin po lalo ngayong tag-init, kahit tubig lang po ang hinihiling namin [โฆ] sapat na po sa amin iyon. Kasi pagdating sa gasulina, kaya naman naming hanapin iyan kasi mamamasada naman po kami. Ayaw naman naming ipaasa lahat sa gobyerno iyong mga ganyang bagay. Kung may ibibigay po silang tubig, malaking pasasalamat [โฆ] tulong na rin po sa amin iyan,โ he said.
Tricycle drivers depend on their personal vehicles to make a living. They experience being unable to travel, due to broken or unavailable motor parts that are often hard to fix or priced high. Others face the risk of being phased-out brought about by the wear-and-tear of time and fervor.
Public Transport and Utility drivers play a vital role in our everyday lives. Not many see and understand that. They brave the heat in order to survive. Their request for water aid to maintain hydration and prevent weather-related health problems must not go unnoticed.
The TODA culture is alive in Tuguegarao. Tricycle drivers respect each other. They do not fight over obtaining passengers. TODAs, spread across various points, are easily accessible for all.
Today, in Tuguegarao, the fight continues through a silent movement enjoined by the hearts that move our own. A movement amplified by the sound of tricycles. Unmuffled. Uncensored. The hope for the future is brightly kindled with every pump of gasoline, every acceleration, every clutch, every brake, and every full stop. Our movers are working, dreaming, and wishing this Labor Day โ a tale telling us that the streets will never be empty.
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ยฉ๏ธ Author's note: This article was originally published on May 2025 for The Louisian Courier.
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