Cagayan de Oro Move It riders fear losing jobs over LTFRB halt order

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The group, Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro, urges the government to make a final decision that will not unduly burden workers and their families

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Many motorcycle taxi drivers in Cagayan de Oro are facing possible job losses unless the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reverses an order for the ride-hailing platform Move It to halt operations in the city and in Cebu.

The order raised concerns among many workers who rely on the service amid rising living costs and limited job prospects.

Move It, owned by Grab Philippines, is one of three ride-hailing platforms authorized under the pilot implementation of the government’s motorcycle taxi program. The other platforms are Angkas and Joyride.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued the order following Move It’s alleged violation of rider cap allocations and its alleged failure to report the activation, deactivation, and reactivation of riders.

Regulators also directed the company to reduce its number of active riders in Metro Manila from more than 14,000 to 6,386 and to enforce a one-year moratorium on onboarding new riders.

The company was reportedly authorized to operate only in Metro Manila, with 6,386 riders, based on a master list submitted to the DOTr’s technical working group. Authorities said no authorization was granted for operations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.

The DOTr has not implemented the order, pending a review of the company’s appeal.

Anthony Berdon, 22, moved to Cagayan de Oro two months ago to work for Move It, despite having no relatives in the city. He hails from Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

“I have no choice but to go home,” he said when asked about his plans if the LTFRB order is upheld.

Berdon said he has no other source of income aside from motorcycle taxi work. He earns around P1,000 for an eight-hour shift, which he uses to support his family and cover monthly payments on his motorcycle.

He expressed hope that operations would continue, citing the difficulty of finding other work.

Chris Canizares, a Move It rider and chairperson of Hero Riders of Cagayan de Oro, urged the government to make a final decision that does not unduly burden workers and their families.

“If there are violations committed by Move It, why can’t they just [impose] monetary penalties?” he said.

Canizares said the government has raised concerns over unemployment, yet issued an order that could cost thousands of jobs. He noted that many in their community use ride-hailing work to supplement other full-time jobs due to rising living expenses.

He expressed concern for riders who depend solely on Move It.

“They resigned from their work and decided to go full-time in Move It. Now, where will they go?” Canizares said.

In Cagayan de Oro, the minimum wage for non-agricultural workers is P461, far below the P1,230 family living wage for a family of five in Northern Mindanao, according to economic think tank IBON Foundation. – Rappler.com