Lived Experiences of Long-Term Male Sikad Drivers in Ozamiz City: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Sikad drivers provide short-distance, pedal-powered transport in many Philippine communities, yet their working lives remain underrepresented in qualitative scholarship. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of ten long-term male sikad drivers in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Participants were purposively selected from drivers who were married, had at least two children, and had more than 15 years of experience. In-depth interviews examined sources of motivation, everyday hardships, coping practices, and hopes for the future. The accounts were synthesised into four overarching themes: (1) family as the central source of purpose and dignity; (2) poverty, restricted opportunity, and social vulnerability; (3) faith and everyday coping; and (4) hope, perseverance, and resourcefulness. Participants described unstable earnings, difficulty meeting food and health needs, limited alternatives to informal work, road-safety concerns, competition from motorised transport, housing insecurity, and experiences of disrespect. At the same time, they emphasised responsibility to family, children's education, honesty, religious faith, gratitude, and persistent effort. The findings show that resilience among these drivers is relational and practical rather than simply individual: it is sustained by family obligations, spiritual meaning, everyday routines, and adaptive livelihood strategies while remaining constrained by informal employment and material insecurity. Because the sample was small, homogeneous, and context-specific, the findings are not intended to serve as population estimates. They nevertheless provide locally grounded evidence that can inform more inclusive discussions of informal transport, occupational health, road safety, social protection, and livelihood support.