Pasig City offers free bus service for health workers, ‘essential personnel’

MANILA, Philippines — The Pasig City government is offering bus service for “essential personnel,” including health workers, who are exempted from the enhanced community quarantine now being enforced throughout Luzon.

Mayor Vico Sotto announced the free bus service in a Facebook post on Wednesday, adding that the buses will travel through identified routes “as many times as possible throughout the day.”

“We will try to operate even beyond the indicated times,” he added.

These are the routes of the buses according to Sotto’s post:

1. City Hall – Sheridan (8-12 a.m., 1-4p.m.)
2. City Hall – Santolan (B) (8-12 a.m., 1-4p.m.)
3. Lucky Gold – Pasig City General Hospital (6 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
4. City Hall – Pasig City General Hospital (6 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
5. City Hall – Santolan (A) (6-8 a.m., 5-7 p.m.)
6. City Hall – Kalawaan (6-8 a.m., 5-7 p.m.)
7. City Hall – Kenneth (6-8 a.m., 5-7 p.m.)
8. City Hall – Rosario (6 a.m. and 5 p.m.)
9. Mega Market – Shaw (19 stops)

In his social media post, the mayor also appealed to the national government to not ban tricycle operations in Pasig City. Sotto earlier allowed tricycles to service passengers who are exempted from the quarantine amid the suspension of public transport in Luzon.

READ: Pasig City OKs tricycle operations amid suspension of public transport

He said the public health situation in the city would be worse if tricycles would not be allowed to operate.

“Pano na po ang mangyayari kung hindi makasakay ang mga HEALTH WORKERS at LIBO-LIBONG MGA PASYENTE NA NANGANGAILANGAN NG TREATMENT? Palalakarin ba talaga natin ng 5 kilometro ang isang dialysis patient na senior citizen? ang cancer patient na bagong opera?” He said.

(What would happen if our health workers and thousands of patients needing treatment would not be able to go to hospitals? Will we require, for instance, a dialysis patient who is a senior citizen or a cancer patient who just went through an operation to walk five kilometers?)

Sotto explained that tricycles would also be helpful in cases of emergency, especially in narrow streets where only tricycles can travel.

Amid the suspension of public transport, Sotto also noted that not everyone has access to private cars. He added that sharing private, enclosed cars may even be more conducive to the spread of the virus, compared to a tricycle that will only carry a maximum of two passengers.

“Sana makita po ng mga ginagalang nating lider—na may perspektibo kami sa LGU (local government unit) na maaaring di nakikita mula sa mas mataas (I hope our respected leaders will see that we in the LGU has perspectives that may not be visible to those on the top leadership). I am not yet even considering the social and economic effects of prohibiting tricycles—we are talking about the potential damage to public health and a possible loss of lives,” he said.

Edited by MUF