MANILA, Philippines — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has appealed to the national government to let tricycles ply on areas within his jurisdiction in order to help health workers travel to their hospitals and aid emergency services since mass transport was suspended amid the Luzon-wide lockdown.
Sotto expressed his frustration over the lack of transportation, which plays an important role in their mobilization measures to deal with COVID-19, in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
“Nagdadasal din po ako na ‘wag pigilan ng nasyonal na pamahalaam ang pag-operate ng mga tricycle,” the mayor wrote.
(I am also praying that the national government will not stop tricycle operations.)
“Pano na po ang mangyayari kung hindi makasakay ang mga HEALTH WORKERS at LIBO-LIBONG MGA PASYENTE NA NANGANGAILANGAN NG TREATMENT?” he added.
(What would happen if health workers will not reach their hospitals as well as the thousands of patients who need treatment?)
All modes of transportation have been suspended after the government implemented an enhanced community quarantine in the entire region of Luzon to limit people’s movements in a bid to avert the spread of COVID-19, a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
Sotto underscored that not allowing tricycles to operate will cause “potential damage to public health and a possible loss of lives.”
Sotto also noted that during emergency situations, tricycles are needed especially in narrow streets.
He admitted that free rides offered by the Pasig City government are not enough.
Not everyone in Pasig also has access to private cars, he added.
Mass transport is prohibited
But the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was firm that any form of transportation should be prohibited during the quarantine period – from March 17 up to 12 a.m. of April 13.
“Any form of mass transportation is prohibited during the period of (enhanced community quarantine) because our purpose is to limit the movement of people to stop the spread of the disease. Every person is a potential carrier,” DILG spokesman and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a text message.
Malaya appealed to Sotto “to be more creative in dealing with this problem just like the other Metro Manila mayors who have addressed this problem already.”
According to Malaya, local government units are using buses to transport health workers in health facilities.
He added that Pasig is the only local government unit that has not complied with the directive on suspending all modes of public transportation.