Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9) — The government says it is exploring another possible means of livelihood for jeepney drivers, as they remain prohibited to ply their routes under Metro Manila’s general community quarantine protocols.

“Kanina po kasama ko rin si Secretary [Arthur] Tugade. Meron rin silang plano na gawing delivery service ‘yung ating mga jeepneys,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online media briefing on Tuesday.

[Translation: Earlier, I was with (Department of Transportation) Secretary Tugade. They have a plan to use our jeepneys for delivery service.]

Roque said there was no update yet on the previous plan to hire the drivers as COVID-19 contact tracers. He stressed that traditional jeepneys still could not resume operations because there is no assurance that social distancing would be followed.

Roque said jeepney drivers will be among the beneficiaries of the second tranche of cash aid which will soon be distributed.

“Yung jeepney modernization po ay siguro po pabibilisan para ‘yung mga nawalang trabaho sa traditional jeepneys ay pwedeng mag-shift sa modern jeepneys,” he added.

[Translation: Perhaps we should fast-track the jeepney modernization, so drivers of traditional jeepneys who lost their jobs could shift to modern jeepneys.]

Thousands of jeepney drivers have had no income since March as quarantine measures were enforced across the country.

Six drivers were arrested on June 2 and charged with “simple resistance and disobedience to person in authority” after staging a protest to call for the resumption of jeepney operations in Metro Manila under general community quarantine.

Four of them have secured provisional liberty after posting bail, but two drivers are still detained, including 72-year-old Elmer Cordero, after it was discovered the there were other charges filed under their name.

READ: Transport group against hiring jeepney drivers as contact tracers