Duterte Cabinet OKs ‘one-seat-apart’ rule in public transportation

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet has approved a one-seat-apart rule for public transportation, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this was among the economic team’s recommendations which were greenlighted during the Cabinet meeting on Monday night.

“Inaprubahan po ng gabinete, na sa pampublikong transportasyon, one-seat-apart na po ang distansya,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(The Cabinet approved that in public transportation, one-seat-apart is the distance.)

“Magsimula sa pagkakaroon ng one seat apart at paunti unting pataasin ang seating capacity o payagan na makaupo na magkatabi basta may plastic barrier,” he added.

(From one-seat-apart, the seating capacity will be gradually increased, allowing passengers to sit next to each other as long there is a plastic barrier.)

Roque noted that the following rules must be observed in public transportation: wearing of face masks, face shields, no talking or eating, adequate ventilation, frequent and proper disinfection, and no symptomatic passengers.

JE