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Thursday, June 01, 2006
Lady driver proves worth of women in public transport
WHO says women could not make it to public transport service?
Not Gladys Edoc, a 29-year-old nursing student who sidelines as a van driver plying the route Abatan, Buguias to La Trindad and vice versa.
The lady driver is now proving there are no more men-dominated tasks.
Edoc, a native of Abatan, Buguias, learned how to drive at 13 with her father as mentor. Since then, she served as an errand girl whenever her family needs to deliver or purchase goods.
Edoc is said to be the first woman from Benguet to join this male-dominated profession.
Aside from being an adventurous person who is challenged by the job, Edoc said she is driving for profit, earning a minimum of P1,400 per trip.
She narrated that she grabbed the chance to drive their family-owned van after their driver left. "I used to be an extra but when our driver left, I decided to drive the van. That was about two months ago. My family was reluctant at first but they were soon convinced," she added.
The van, with a seating capacity of 11 persons, is also used to service Edoc and her classmates down to Pangasinan where they are taking up nursing.
Off classes, she uses it to ferry passengers from La Trinidad and other areas to Abatan, Buguias, traversing a distance of about 85 kilometers. The trip takes about two hours.
But Edoc said being a lady driver is not only risky. It also needs a lot of guts to prove to the riders that with her, their safety is guaranteed.
"Passengers are often hesitant to board my van because they are not used to having a lady driver. But I can feel that their uneasiness vanish after about five to 10 kilometers drive," adds Edoc.
Aside from Buguias, Edoc has also tried transporting passengers to as far as Metro Manila and Cavite and Quezon provinces.
Her colleagues have already expressed their support. "We are proud of her. She is proof that women can also do what men can. In fact, she is better than some of the male drivers," said Napoleon Palasi, an officer of the Abatan-Baguio Van Operators and Drivers Association, to which Edoc is a member. (JC)
(June 1, 2006 issue)
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