Nearly three years after its establishment as the first motorcycle riding service in the city, Backride Palawan is contemplating the future of transport and the potentials of on-demand rides for the province.
Backride Palawan, conceived by Virgel Dela Puerta in February 2020, was inspired by the convenience that companies like Grab offer to commuters in major cities. He aimed to replicate this in Puerto Princesa City, adapting to its unique transportation challenges.
After a month spent prototyping bookings on Facebook, developing the Android app, hiring riders, and designing their first logo, Backride Palawan officially commenced operations on March 16, 2020, ready to serve the Palaweños.
The onset of the pandemic posed an initial challenge for the venture, but it nevertheless carved out its niche and soon became in demand, even amidst imposed community quarantines.
“March 16, grabe namin kamalas. Pero buong week na ‘yon, nakita talaga namin na sobrang lakas nung [Backride] so sikat agad siya,” Dela Puerta said.
Dela Puerta acknowledged that, while initially discouraged, the first week of lockdowns turned out to be advantageous for their business. During this time, Backride Palawan shifted to ferrying goods and services instead of passengers, utilizing a “pasa-buy” system.
However, this operational shift did not last long once it became evident that the COVID-19 safety measures were going to be a prolonged requirement.
“After one week, na stop talaga kami totally kasi siyempre kailangan namin sumunod sa batas. Pumayag na nung November, tumawag sa amin yung Land Transporation Office (LTO) at nagsabi na pwede na daw umangkas basta may mga ganitong precautions, or ganyan,” he said.
Dela Puerta pinpointed the app’s relaunch in November of the same year as the moment he recognized Backride’s staying power in Palawan.
“Yung opening nung Acacia [tunnel], sikat na yung Backride. Naka-uniform sila, binigyan namin ng free ride ang mga tao na gustong pumunta doon. (…) Sobrang bilis talaga nung Backride, na kung tutuusin nag-operate kami for one week, sakto lockdown. Iniisip namin kung March 16 yung icelebrate namin kasi sobrang masalimuot iyon, or yung November 20, na nag-start ulit si Backride. Yun ang pinag-uusapan namin. Pero feeling ko mas maganda kung November yung [date],” Dela Puerta said.
November 2020 saw an influx of temporary riders seeking jobs during the ECQs, but some, like Norman Ayon, remained after recognizing Backride Palawan’s potential. Ayon now serves as the operations head for of the pillion-riding company.
Riders
Ayon joined Backride Palawan as a rider in the same month, prompted by the pandemic-induced pause of his carinderia business. He seized the opportunity to become a rider and proved exceptionally industrious, earning an average of ₱30,000 a month—an impressive income, particularly during the pandemic.
He credited his success to hard work and persistence, remarking that if the rider ranking system—a feature introduced in the app in October 2023—had been available earlier, he would have been a top contender.
“Nung time na yun, sa mga first five months, isa na ako sa mga nagta-top, nakakaabot ng ₱30k a month na income. Actually, sa app na po iyon, nabawasan ng 20% [sa commission], pero hindi kasama doon yung mga tip,” he added.
“Medyo nagulat yung may-ari na bagu-baguhan pa lang ako nung panahon na iyon, pero napakita ko yung hilig ko sa pagra-ride. Nagiging honest din ako sa sarili ko kasi sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, manual booking man iyan. Ay, tatapusin ko lahat yan ng wala kang pag-aalangan at walang pandaraya sa company,” Ayon added.
His secret to successful rides lay in building trust with his passengers, many of whom were repeat customers, or “suki.” They often preferred not to trust any rider other than Ayon or those recommended by him.
Ayon made a point of introducing himself openly to new passengers and consistently avoided discriminating against any of his customers.
“Siyempre pag nagra-rides, kapag hindi nagtitiwala ang pasahero sa iyo, di na aangkas iyan. Ako, nakakauha ako dati ng mga pasahero mga LGBT, mga babae, nagpapasundo pag gabi at malayo ang uuwian. Kapag nagkukwento ako tungkol sa asawa ko, nabibilib sila, tapos gumagaan na yung loob. Ang katwiran ko doon, kahit walang nakakakita, ikaw na lang ang maging honest sa sarili mo,” he added.
Ayon’s wife worked as a doctor, who extended her medical services to some of the riders as part of the health benefits package of Backride Palawan.
“Noon, nakakauwi naman ako sa oras, at nasusundo ko rin yung asawa ko. Mostly nasa bahay lang kami tumatama pa din naman ako sa panahon ng pagkain ng pamilya,” he said.
Now, aside from ferrying his suki passengers, Ayon also oversees the management of all riders under the employ of Backride Palawan, totaling 250 in both Puerto Princesa and in El Nido.
Two of these riders are Ansel Lepalam and Joshua Basario, who work part-time and full-time, respectively, for Backride Palawan in the city.
Lepalam has spent one year working part-time for Backride Palawan while also holding a 9-5 office job in the private sector. His day typically starts early as he ferries commuters to the poblacion area, just like himself.
“Laban din yung schedule po sa work. Minsan pagka-umaga, galing pa ako ng Sicsican, nago-online na ako bago pumasok, mga 6 a.m. (…) Pareho lang naman [na madaming passenger], nagrararides ako bago pumasok, naghahanap ako ng papasok din na papunta sa bayan kaya minsan late ako, pero okay din naman. Sa hapon ganun din, madali din maka-book,” Lepalam said.
He explained how he balances his time between his office job and Backride Palawan, emphasizing that he has the flexibility to choose when to take rides and determine his daily earnings.
“Hindi naman nagka-clash ang schedule, walang day-off, kahit Saturday at Sunday nagrarides. Sa isang araw, kalahating araw lang ang holiday,” he said.
“Depende din sa sipag kasi, minsan nakaka 800 [pesos] pataas per day. Chamba-chamba lang minsan, minsan mga limang oras lang ng trabaho pwede ka nang umuwi,” said Lepalam.
He recounted that the majority of bookings originate from individuals commuting to and from their workplaces. The farthest destinations he has traveled include Irawan and Sta. Lourdes. The distance can also extend to Aborlan, as long as it’s booked and discussed between the rider and the passenger.
Although Lepalam has been working at a private company for two years, he said that he enjoyed his employment with Backride Palawan as well.
“Nakaranas kasi ako dati ng depression, tapos ayun naghanap ako ng mga makakalibang-libangan ko. (…) Ngayon ine-enjoy ko na lang yung backrides ko, tapos nakakahanap na lang ako ng mga kaibigan na backride rider din,” he said.
Among his friends at the company is Joshua Basario, a full-time rider who joined in November 2023. Basario, also from Brgy. Sicsican, decided to join Backride Palawan after facing sudden layoffs in his previous courier job.
“Mas okay na ako dito, kasi 7-5 yung trabaho doon depende kung matapos kaagad. Dito naman sa Backride depende na sa rider kailan ka a-accept,” Basario remarked.
Basario prefers to book rides during the afternoon rush, sometimes continuing until early morning. He mentioned feeling safe, even when driving at night, due to the inclusion of health and accident insurance as part of the Backride Riders package.
He also said that he would earn around ₱1,500 on days when he worked 11-hour shifts. This allowed him to interact with various individuals, ranging from talkative passengers to those who were simply eager to reach their destinations.
“Wala pa naman akong natatanggap na reklamo, at wala rin akong reklamo sa pasahero. Pero isang beses na may nag-book, ang pamasahe trenta, bigay sa akin bente. GCash niya na lang daw sa akin yung kulang,” he said, laughing.
“Malaking pasasalamat ko talaga kasi nung natanggal ako sa trabaho ko, weeks na lang mahuhugot na yung motor ko. Kaya nung pagstart ko sa Backride, talagang sinagad ko yung trabaho, para sa panghulog at panggastos doon sa araw-araw,” he said.
Both Basario and Lepalam were participants in the riders’ ranking system within the Backride app, which was linked to both passenger and rider accounts. Earning a rank meant accumulating points in your virtual in-app wallet, which could then be redeemed for a free ride as a customer or converted into load points for riders.
“Every three days pwede ka makakuha sa coins ng ₱10,000 kung talagang malakas ka magrides, every ranking may points kang katumbas,” Ayon said.
Ayon recalled that the monthly average rides that Backride Palawan logged through the app was around 22,000. Thus, the rider ranking system was reset to zero every month, which means that riders only really had to compete with each other for the ten-thousand convertible points for the top spot.
“Number 1 kami sa mga transport groups sa Puerto sa popularity, safety, at number of riders kasi. Kaya may three days kami ng seminar bago magrides,” he said.
Customers can also make bookings through the website and have them logged by the rider in the app. However, Ayon admitted that some of their temporary riders who signed up for the company are choosing not to use the manual booking option in the app or on the website.
While these riders still carry the credibility of Backride Palawan, not using the app to measure the distance of their journeys can lead to miscommunication and potential fare discrepancies, which is one of the reasons behind some of the negative experiences reported by passengers.
Ayon strongly disapproves of such practices and has implemented a vetting process for riders in their company since then, emphasizing that it enhances the integrity and trust between riders and passengers.
The City and Its Transportation
Public commute routes in Puerto Princesa City can be especially tricky. The multicab routes, known as 1 and 2 by locals to refer to Rizal Avenue and Malvar Street, respectively, avoid major streets further into the city, such as Bancao-Bancao.
Changes in the local transportation scene have made it increasingly difficult for city commuters, especially with the restrictions on tricycles from driving on the national highway and the opening of the terminal in Brgy. Irawan. While this reduced congestion in the San Jose public market, it also lengthened and made the trip more expensive for those living in the población area.
In response to these challenges, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board conducted the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) Simulation Exercise from December 7 to 9, 2023, during which multicab drivers practiced four new routes.
The simulation exercise was cut short by the City Council after two days of the citizens forwarding their complaints to their offices, citing the disorienting routes, traffic in malls and other landmarks, different unloading stations, and generally a big change in their commuting routes.
Basario noted that it was a hectic day for Backride Palawan. “Mabenta. Badtrip yung mga nagko-commute kasi nga sa Malvar walang multicab, kailangan nila ng pumunta ng Rizal Avenue, di nila alam kung saan sasakay. Konti lang yung tricycle na nagfafranchise kaya nagbabackride sila,” he said.
Common practice in the city had TODA-franchised tricycles by the end of streets off the highway, ready to ferry people within areas in barangays were public commutes could not reach.
When Backride Palawan launched in March 16, the company faced backlash from some transportation groups, most famously the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA) of Puerto Princesa City, who claimed that the private-run company did not have the necessary permits to operate a rider’s franchise in the city then.
A lot of TODAs had limited areas left after a city ordinance pushed them to stop operating on public highways to lessen traffic congestion, which led to tensions between TODA drivers and Backride Palawan riders amidst allegations of poaching passengers.
Dela Puerta said that competition was not their intention. “Yung mga tricycle, yan na yung kinagisnan natin, mga tatay na natin yan. Ang sa amin naman na gusto naming maiabsorb nila ay i niyo kami kalaban, kakampi niyo kami.’ Kasi ikaw, kung tricycle driver namamaasada ka diyan ang gagawin mo lang sama ka sa program namin, bibigyan naming kayo ng pasahero.”
He said that it was still up to passengers whether they would ride the tricycles or go on the app, and that those who registered as riders under the app could choose to accept riders as a regular franchised tricycle driver or a Backride Palawan rider, with 20% commission for accident insurance.
He recalled that during a hearing with the city council, that the TODA drivers dropped their case due to Backride Palawan’s integration in the local transportation scene, and that stopping the company would inconvenience more passengers.
“Bago yung hearing na iyon, pinahinto pa kami ng four days tinanggal naming yung uniform, pinapunta kami sa Mayor’s office (…) Wala pang batas sa motorcycle ridesharing sa Pilipinas, wala pang kaso sa batas. Ang ginawa nila sa amin para mawala yung flame ay wag na muna maguniform hayaan niyo lang na gumawa ng service so nakabalik kami after four days (…) lumapit sa amin si Sir Efne [Lusoc], yung [Federation president] ng Puerto Princesa City TODA,” Dela Puerta said.
Lusoc and Dela Puerta then agreed to absorb the TODA drivers as riders within the app as well, as registration was free.
Road to the Future
“Yung pinaka goal talaga namin is ma-expand ang Backride this year. Ang target is El Nido, Coron, and Brooke’s Point. Lahat naman ng mayors nung mga sinabi kong lugar ay nakameeting naming,” Dela Puerta added.
Despite all this, he is also working closely with Ayon and the riders of the company to polish implementation in Puerto Princesa City, so as to perfect the system upon expansion.
One of these changes included a revamp of the earlier “pasa-buy” system, relaunched on the website and the app in January 2024 as a “pautos” service, which allows passengers to book riders to transport goods and other materials door-to-door.
Dela Puerta envisions Backride Palawan as a company stretching out into being a third-party booking service in the future, hoping to cater not just to locals but also tourists. Services such as rentals, inland and island tours were some of which he hoped to cater through the company soon.
