ILOILO City – “Pierde gid kami.”
Several delivery riders lamented that their livelihood was disrupted because of the phone signal jamming implemented on Jan. 21 and 22 during the highlights of the Dinagyang Festival 2023.
The signal jamming, which was supposed to cover these areas only – Plaza Libertad, Freedom Grandstand, Plazoleta Gay, provincial capitol, portion of the Iloilo Terminal Market, Robinsons Place mall, and Ortiz Street, City Proper – extended to nearby towns in Iloilo province.
Delivery of goods is highly reliant on online digital platforms. Without cellular reception, this mode of business and livelihood is rendered immobile.
Edson Nofable of Banate, Iloilo, a Foodpanda rider, said they would have earned some income were it not for the signal jamming. Instead, they received zero orders despite the weekend being packed with festivities.
“Wala kami sang signal, amo na mabudlay kay indi kami maka-receive sang booking kag indi ka man makadul-ong sang booking. Ti, zero ma’am, eh, pierde gid kami,” Nofable told Panay News.
He added that he and the other delivery riders did not expect the signal jamming to include Barangay Ungka II, Pavia since the area was already far from the Dinagyang venues. However, there was no cellphone reception from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Jan. 21 and 22.
“Ang problema gani nagkadto kami diri kay abi namon may signal ang Pavia area kay ang hambal nila ang Iloilo City lang man mo. Gali ang signal jamming asta Oton, pati Pavia, Leganes kag iban nga banwa wala sang signal,” he said.
Grab rider Alexander Ayona of Barangay Sambag, Jaro district shared the same sentiments.
Ayona said he did not expect that the town of Pavia and Jaro district would be affected by the signal jamming since the city government’s advisory said otherwise.
He added several delivery riders, including him and Nofable, positioned themselves at a mall in Barangay Ungka II, Pavia over the weekend in hopes to be able to get phone signal and receive orders.
Ayona was forced to take a day off on Sunday instead.
“Balda gid kami. Abi namon may signal diri kay City Proper man lang hambal nila ang may signal jamming,” he told Panay News.
Emil James Librojo, also a Foodpanda rider, noted that in previous Dinagyang celebrations, the signal jamming did not affect Pavia.
“Wala kami maka-biyahe sang aga. Nagbiyahe ako sang hapon na. Sang una wala man di nakalab-ot ang signal jamming, subong nakalab-ot na,” said Librojo.
Rider John Marcos added, “Pigado gid, wala kami mag-expect nga makalab-ot ang signal jam sa sagwa sang city kay ang amon expectation ang city lang.”
Without the phone signal jamming, the four delivery riders said their average income is between P1,000 and P1,500 per day./PN
