Sen. Lapid's bill pushes to protect delivery riders, drivers

Senator Manuel "Lito" Lapid has filed a bill which seeks to provide protection to delivery riders/drivers, by requiring food and grocery delivery service providers to establish a mandatory reimbursement scheme for cancellation of orders.

For months now, since the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the residents and workers are forced to stay at home and avoid crowded places that they usually visit such as restaurants and groceries. To sustain the public's need for food and household items, people now resort to delivery services wherein the delivery riders are the front-liners who take the daily risk of going out and ordering food or buying groceries and deliver them at the doorstep of their customers.

Unfortunately, these delivery riders have recently been exposed to unjustified cancellation of orders or even to instances of "no-show" customers, despite the fact that they have already advanced or paid the ordered items.

"Masakit isipin na sa kabila ng panganib na hinaharap ng mga delivery rider para lamang makapagserbisyo sa mga customer at kumita ng maliit na halaga, sa huli, sila pa ang naloloko. Bukod sa nasasayang ang oras at salapi ng mga riders dahil sa pagkansela ng order, ang mas malala pa, may mga pagkakataon na ni hindi matunton nag address ng nanlokong customer dahil sa fake address. Hindi tuloy sila mapanagot at naiiwang lugi at abunado ang mga delivery riders," Lapid said.

Senate Bill 1677 requires the service providers to establish a reimbursement scheme in favor of deliver riders/drivers which will cover the entire amount of money advances to purchase the items, in case of cancelation of confirmed orders. Reimbursements to the riders must be made within one (1) day from cancellation.

To facilitate collection against cancelling customers, this bill also requires the implementation of Know-Your-Customer (KYC) rules which will entail the submission and verification of proof of identity and residential address, subject to compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

"Sa hirap ng buhay ngayon lalo't nasa gitna tayo ng pandemya, lahat naman tayo ay gustong kumita. Kaya humahanga tayo sa mga gaya ng service riders na gumagawa ng paraan para kumita sa legal na paraan at malaki pa ang naitutulong nila para hindi na lumabas ng bahay ang ating mga kababayan. Kaya para masiguro na hindi na sila maloloko pa ng mga biglaang pagkansela ng order, dapat masiguro na ang mga umoorder ay magbibigay ng totoong pangalan at address," Lapid added.

Lapid's bill also penalizes repeated acts of unjustified cancellation of confirmed orders for the delivery of food and/or grocery items when the same has already been paid by the delivery rider/driver. If a customer cancels for at least three (3) times in a period of one (1) month, he/she, upon conviction, be subject to the penalty of arresto mayor or imprisonment of one month and one day to six months. The said customer will also need to pay a fine of an amount not exceeding P100,000.

Failure of the food and grocery delivery service providers to set up the reimbursement scheme is likewise penalized with a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 500,000.00) and double the amount of money not reimbursed to their delivery riders/drivers.