Poe opens virtual inquiry into partial resumption of public transport

The Senate public services committee holds a virtual public hearing into the partial resumption of public transportation in areas under the general community quarantine.

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate public services committee on Monday opened its virtual public hearing into the partial resumption of public transportation in areas under the general community quarantine (GCQ) as the country battles with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Senator Grace Poe called for the inquiry, the first Senate hearing to be held virtually, through Senate Resolution No. 379.

Poe’s resolution directed her committee to conduct a hearing on the gradual resumption of public transport operations in areas under the GCQ in a bid to serve essential workers and jumpstart the economy while observing safety and health protocols.

Poe presided over the hearing in the session hall while some senators and all the resource persons are participating virtually.

Senator Francis Tolentino joined Poe in the session hall while Senators Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Imee Marcos, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Joel Villanueva and Cynthia Villar are participating via teleconference.

Earlier, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued guidelines for the gradual resumption of public transportation in areas where a GCQ is in place.

According to Poe, the guidelines “should also anticipate renewed extensions of the ECQ or future reversion to ECQ from a GCQ and ensure that such guidelines will always allow uninterrupted mobility for frontliners and other Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR).”

She also pointed out that all guidelines must be complemented with revenue support given that PUV operations are “dependent on operating at maximum passenger capacity.”

“The guidelines must provide a revenue model that will ensure viability of operations while still ensuring that health protocols are followed,” Poe said in her resolution, which she filed on May 4.

“(O)pportunity lies in crisis and the transportation industry is at a critical position to recover, retool, reinvent, and reboot itself in order to cater to the new normal,” she added.

Poe further said that a “data-driven, evidenced-based, and more lasting institutional post-pandemic mobility plan should immediately be crafted in consultation with experts and stakeholders to lay down and converge important insights, concerns and issues as regards the use of mass transportation in the new normal.”

Metro Manila and other “high risk” areas remain under an enhanced community quarantine until May 15 while a general community quarantine has been imposed on moderate to low risk provinces since May 1.

LIST: Provinces, areas under ECQ and GCQ

To date, Philippine health officials have confirmed 10,794 COVID-19 cases in the country.

Of the number, 1,924 have recovered while 719 have died.

READ: PH COVID-19 cases rise to 10,794 as recoveries near 2,000 mark