Truckers against overloading

Truckers are against overloading their trucks!

You find that unthinkable? If you listen to generalizations that have gained circulation among many sectors, you would say that truckers in favor of loading right is an oxymoron. It just doesn’t fit into our general impression through all these years.

But, this is what we are hearing from the stands, from the bus terminals, from dialogues with truckers in Subic, Angeles, San Fernando, and Cabanatuan jointly organized by the Department of Public Highways and the Manila North Tollways Corporation.

Recently, the association of White Sand Truckers of Nueva Ecija declared during a workshop that they are for loading right, and they are willing to police their ranks if only to make sure that everyone follows the anti-overloading law. Edynel Casino, president of the association said: "Patas ang laban kung lahat kami ay susunod sa batas." ("The fight is even if all of us follow the law.")

The workshop held in a  Max’s Restaurant in Cabanatuan was frank as it was lively. The truckers are mostly young millionaires (how else can they afford big trucks to haul white sand to Metro Manila?), educated and raring to prove to one and sundry that they are a professional lot. Of course, they have the enterprising spirit where they can see unfair trade practice whey they see one. 

One unfair practice is when one trucker lowers his price because he is overloading. We frown on that, said the amiable association president.

In the same workshop-dialogue, the truckers were able to extract a commitment from Sol Genota of DPWH to work on installing a weighbridge in Nueva Ecija. MNTC vice presidents Raul Ignacio and Marlene Ochoa provided insights on how the load limit implementation is being done at the North Luzon Expressway. On hand was chief facilitator, my friend, Dante Velasco, who made sure the exchange was frank and friendly.

Another dialogue that highlighted the eagerness — not only willingness — of these truckers to uphold the law was held in La Trinidad, Benguet, where the joint team of DPWH and MNTC officials met vegetable producers and dealers. Their main objection to the anti-overloading campaign is the inconsistent way of implementing the rules.

In that meeting, amid a brewing storm, portable weighing scales were brought to the town market to demonstrate weighing procedures. Such a demo convincecûevc¬yone that the implementation of the load limits law is in earnest.

In that meeting DPWH and MNTC gave the producers and farmers tips in "reconfiguring" their trucks so that they can follow the load limit of 13.5 tons per axle. Also, they were given additional tips on how to load properly. It is possible that trucks are overloaded because the cargo is unevenly distributed!

National Road Board Director Bert Suansing, himself a former trucker, was on hand to provide the tips to the truckers. MNTC vice presidents Ignacio, my friend Marlene, and Renie Ticzon were also there to provide support. The wonders of dialogue are working.

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By the way, the anti-overloading drive of MNTC has been recently awarded an Anvil Award by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) for its judicious use of communication and advocacy in winning over adherents to the loading right campaign.

Yes, there is science and art in the campaign. MNTC conducted a survey among truckers and truck drivers on their attitudes about the loading right drive. Early on, the drivers had expressed concern about the inconsistent implementation of the anti-overloading law. This once again proves the need for consistency in law enforcement — which is also true for traffic rules, use of pedestrian lanes, following bus stop signs, and other rules that are observed in the breach because law enforcers are not consistent.

Much can be learned therefore from this earnest effort of MNTC in conducting dialogues, and undertaking an IEC (short for NGO’s concept of information, education and communication) program.

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Kudos, too, to Creative Point Int’l (Philippine affiliate of Hill & Knowlton, one of the largest PR firms around the world) for sharing the award with MNTC. Last year, MNTC and Creative Point romped off with the Grand Anvil, the highest award given by PRSP for its advocacy campaign explaining the new toll fees and relating it to the collective dream of Central Luzon for accelerated development, following a devastated economy wrought by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

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The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Women in Development (WID) Foundation and the IVP Women’s Caucus will be jointly sponsoring a workshop entitled, "Sexuality and Spirituality: The Context of Women OFWs" to be held on April 20, 2007 at Richmonde Hotel.

The workshop intends to formulate a framework for a woman-focused PDOS module to address women issues and vulnerabilities at work. Hopefully the output will be officially included in the PDOS and incorporated in a Woman’s Guidebook for Overseas Living, a handbook that will accompany the module.

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My e-mail:[email protected]