By Fernan Angeles
THE President has decided. There would be no easing on physical distancing in public transportation, said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Ang desisyon po ng Presidente, mananatili po ang one-meter social distancing sa pampublikong transportasyon,” said Roque.
However, there was no mention of allowing more public transports to ply the road and ferry passengers, seen to give back the livelihood of thousands of drivers of passenger-hailing vehicles like traditional jeepneys and buses.
Prior to the President’s decision, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) suspended its implementation of a rule allowing a reduced distance of 0.75 meter between commuters in trains, buses, and the likes.
The DOTR started implementing the policy on Monday, September 14. Three days later, it was “temporarily suspended pending the decision of the President” as health experts hinted at the possibility that the new rule could lead to more transmissions of COVID-19.
The decision of the President is the exact opposite of what Roque stood for. It was the Philippine College of Physicians and Healthcare Professionals Alliance for COVID-19 that first called the attention of the government over what they claimed was “too early to reduce physical distancing.”
The DOTr imposed the reduction of physical distancing public transports to optimize public transportations even as it allayed fears of contamination “for as long as health measures are implemented – including face masks and face shields, and a ban on talking and eating during rides – the spread of the virus could be prevented while still reducing the distance between commuters.”
The National Economic and Development Authority previously said that unless more people could be accommodated in public transportation, the country would be hampered in its bid to revive the economy.
Critics of the plan pointed out that enforcement of the rule would be difficult and that it was premature to relax the physical distancing requirements with the country still reporting thousands of new cases a day.
Año’s view was that reducing the distance rule in public transportation might lead to complacency in following the one-meter rule in other places. He believes consistency in policies would make it easier for Filipinos to follow rules.