WHILE other highly urbanized cities in the country are abolishing street barkers or dispatchers, Davao city will deploy them as "street attendants."
Barkers are self-employed persons usually posting on the street corners or mall patios to call the attention of passengers looking for passenger jeepneys and taxicabs; that is where they earn P5 to P10 from the drivers.
Sometime in 2012, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) under former chief Ronald dela Rosa received numerous complaints mostly from women and parents of coeds who got physically tugged or slightly pushed in butts by the barkers as these passengers enter the jeep.
At that time Talomo police station chief P/S Dionisio Abude received an order from his honcho dela Rosa to brush off the barkers in one of the malls in Matina where extortion to drivers and sexual harassment complaints germinated.
Six years later, retired P/S Dionesio Abude heads the Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO). Abude is one of the first Cobra Pinoy Hero grand prize winners. The awards are given to modern Filipino heroes who with them carry their passion, perseverance, determination, and strength in serving others.
Abude announced the plan to organize barkers to become "street attendants". This sounds a good tidings and a commendable utilization of human resource. Instead of condemning misconducts, Abude sees the potential from these dudes to become assets of the city.
The barkers' main function should the city government approves, is to remind the drivers about the 20-second rule on yellow boxes and to guide the passengers where to embark for their respective destinations.
If the barkers will have a decent job, receive monetary allowance, uniforms and proper training, this will make a good opportunity for the CTTMO to have the authority over them if only to change their image at large, and the city in general.
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