Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte expressed on Sunday his support for amending the local ordinance to remove the business permit requirement for delivery riders in Davao City.
“Dili man pod na nimo sila puwede singlon og kanang bug-at kay pila ra po’y ginansiya ana ug kapoy baya na nga trabaho,” Duterte said during “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast.
Delivery riders particularly members of the United Davao Delivery Riders Association (UDDRA) have been requesting an exemption from the business permit requirement, which may cost them anywhere from P1,720 to P5,200 a year, depending on the kind of motorcycles they own.
Duterte said the City Council is working on amending the City Ordinance 0291-17 or the Davao City Revenue Code, which was passed in 2017 but amended in 2021 by former city councilor Danny Dayanghirang Sr. through City Ordinance 0612-21, mandating the delivery riders to apply for a business permit.
“Ang nakapadugay ana, kana kinahanglan ug sakto na legal basis, unya nigawas naman na karon, wala na’y problema na. Karon mahitabo na gyud na ug dili na gyud na (removal of business permit requirement) ma-reverse. At least klaro lang ang tanan. Kung ang tawo gusto manginabuhi patas ug tarong, kinahanglan dili lisod ang pagsugod aning kalibutana,” Duterte said.
Duterte also criticized other mayoralty candidates for using the delivery riders to push their agenda and claimed that the city government seems to ignore the riders’ pleas.
“Ang problema lang karon kay naa ta’y nanagan karong election na gamiton nila na murag wala atimana, dili man na ingon ana kay sa tinuod lang murag paminaw nila,” he said.
Meanwhile, former city councilor Pamela Librado explained that the local government may decide to waive the business permit requirement for delivery riders based on Supreme Court rulings.
In 2019, Librado had passed a resolution calling for an investigation against the companies of the delivery riders.
“Katong nahimo kong konsehal in 2019, isa kini sa atong gipangusgan na panawagan para sa atong mga riders, nagpasa kita ug resolution ug panawagan na maimbestigahan ang mga kompanya sa (delivery riders) sa kahimtang sa delivery riders nato,” she said during the “Basta Dabawenyo” podcast.
Librado cited challenges being faced by the delivery riders such as obtaining a business permit, which is that they cannot sustain because they are not even businessmen and have a meager amount of income only.
“Sa ilang kahimtang karon naay mga kompanya ginatugtan sila bisan wala sila’y business permit apan dunay porsyento na gina less sa ilaha. Wala pud sila’y insurance ug sa ilang gisagubang kung naay aksidente na mahitabo. Kargo pud nila ang pang gasolina, pagbayad sa kada bulan sa mga motor, pang load, uniform,” she said.
Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, chair of the Committee on Finance and the Committee on Trade and Industry, recently reported that a resolution concerning the plea of the delivery riders in Davao City that they’ll be exempted from getting business permit will be available before the year ends.
Ortiz explained that this means that the issue will be resolved in the sense that it will be presented to the plenary for a second reading with the committee recommendations with corresponding resolutions and ordinances.
