Increasing public transport capacity up to 70% just a matter of time – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Increasing public transportation capacity up to 70% is just a “matter of time” as the Inter-agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) is already discussing the proposal.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who is also the IATF official mouthpiece, said this Monday in response to the proposal of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to increase public transport capacity to compliment the government’s decision to allow several businesses in areas under general community quarantine (GCQ) to operate at full capacity.

“Pinag-iisipan po talaga ‘yan ng IATF dahil alam natin na ang tanging paraan para makaahon sa kahirapan ay ang pagbubukas ng ekonomiya na pupwede naman pong mangyari sa pamamagitan ng pag-ingat ng buhay para makapaghanap buhay,” Roque said in a televised press briefing.

(The IATF is really thinking about that because we know that the only way for our countrymen to get out of poverty is to open up the economy which is doable by taking care of health to continue work for a living.)

“Sa tingin ko po ay it’s a matter of time bago natin maibalik sa 70% itong transportation natin,” he added.

(I think it’s just a matter of time before we again allow up to 70% of our transportation.)

Earlier, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) allowed several businesses under general community quarantine (GCQ) to operate at 100 percent capacity as the government further reopens the pandemic-hit economy.

The Philippines’ COVID-19 caseload reached 322,497 on Sunday, including 273,079 recoveries and 5,776 deaths. [ac]