Would you believe that it’s already been 5 years since Angkas started its operations in the Philippines? Yes, after the Metro Manila commuter scene went through a phase of habal-habal riders as sort of the unofficial, two-wheeled equivalent of ride-sharing vehicles some years back, Angkas stepped in with the goal to legitimize the Philippine motorcycle taxi industry in late 2016.
In order to achieve this, the company introduced professional regulations to ensure a certain standard and to help protect passenger safety. You may be surprised to discover the statistic that out of the 150,000 biker applicants whom Angkas provided free rider training for, 70 percent of them actually failed! This means that the current, authorized riders they have are actually from that filtered 30 percent. Thankfully, this strict screening has gifted Angkas with a recorded safety rating of 99.997 percent even after logging in millions of rides.
Given our worsening traffic situation, it’s good to know that motorcycle riders now have the chance to be screened and – if they pass – have the chance to offer ride-sharing services and effectively, become micro entrepreneurs in better control of their time and finances.
“An estimated 99 percent of motorcycle owners are low-income breadwinners. Motorcycles are at the center of their road to economic freedom and financial independence,” shares George Royeca, the CEO of Angkas Philippines.
He adds that, “Should they be given legitimacy as a sector, they will certainly be a formidable economic force that will provide adequately for their families, as well as help revive the economy by providing incomparably energy and time-efficient mobility and logistics services.”
However, despite there being a whopping 18 million bikers in our country – three times the number of owners of four-wheeled vehicles – Filipino motorcycle riders still have to face many challenges on a daily basis. Among them is a lack of proper road infrastructure to support bikers; and the strong, negative stigma against motorcyclists in general.
To help address this, last April 3, Angkas held its Safety Fiesta – a whole-day event to celebrate their riders, celebrate their collective return to full operations (finally with no more pandemic-related restrictions), and to take the opportunity to push for the welfare and protection of the biker community by also inviting senatorial candidates to come and share their political platforms when it involves the riding sector.
The Angkas whole-day fiesta was celebrated by about 3,000 attendees; and it was held at the Angkas headquarters in Cainta, Rizal. The day’s activities included everything from a free Service Campaign Refresher Course seminar for the riders, a medical mission, booths that offered free haircuts and free massages all day, to a motorcycle safety and skills showcase via an on-site Gymkhana course. It also featured a bazaar that sold food items, clothing, a plethora of motorcycle parts and accessories, and of course, helmets and riding gear.
In the evening, there were hours of entertainment in the form of a concert combined with many other performances. There were also on-site raffles and giveaways, which culminated in the raffling off of a brand new motorcycle.
But perhaps among the most interesting things to listen to that day were the different propositions of the senatorial candidates (who came from a range of different political parties) regarding rider welfare. Here are some examples of what they had to say:
Senatorial hopeful, Dr. Minguita Padilla cited some potentially life-saving applications for motorcycle taxis. She said, “Sa medical emergencies, nakikita niyo ang mga ambulansya na stuck sa traffic! Pero ang motorcycles, puwedeng [mas mabilis] dumaan. At sa ibang bansa, ay ginagamit na sila… pang first-aid, pang mga emergency medical vehicles.” (During medical emergencies, we often see ambulances stuck in traffic! But motorbikes can usually get through traffic faster. In other countries, motorcycles are already used for first-aid applications and as emergency medical vehicles.)
Meanwhile, former Ifugao governor and senatorial candidate Teddy Baguilat pointed out that based on his conversations with regular tricycle drivers, spare part shortages have become a problem. “We have to look into how we can manufacture these spare parts locally,” he shared.
Senatoriable and actor Robin Padilla also had an interesting pitch. He said, “Gagawa tayo ng pambansang gasolinahan! Ibig sabihin, hindi na yan kailangan i-tax ng gobyerno.” (We shall move to establish a nationalized/state-owned gas station! This means that it won’t be taxed by the government.)
Finally, Angkas CEO Royeca had this to share to the Angkas Fiesta participants: “To the 18 million people that are depending on two wheels for their livelihoods, we want you to have the proper representation and good champions who will really look at what you’re doing, how you can thrive, how you can be better, and also fight for your rights!” Adding that, “At the end of the day… yun lang po (that’s all we want). Sana po, hindi na po sila second-class citizens. This is something that we will always be fighting for, until we are able to establish that.”
Congratulations Angkas community, on what you have achieved so far, and on your over five years of operating in the country!