The Inter-Agency task force formed by the Marcos administration to address the transport group strike of Manibela and PISTON has been instrumental in averting the further escalation of the disturbance in Metro Manila as well as in the other national urban centers.
Upon the directive of the President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., members of the Inter-Agency Task group had coordinated and collaborated to find ways to ensure that the effects of the March 6 ‘tigil pasada’ or transport group strike would be contained.
The members of inter-agency task force, which included the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), among others, had put in place several contingency measures to soften the impact of the transport group strike in Metro Manila and other nearby areas.
The contingency measure included the deployment of augmentation vehicles to transport stranded passengers during the first day of the planned weeklong transport disturbance.
Police and traffic personnel were also assigned on the routes that had been identified as hotspots and ensured the peace and order and smooth flow of vehicular traffic in these areas.
Meanwhile, President Marcos thanked members of Manibela and PISTON for heeding the call of the government to sit down and discuss their concerns regarding the implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
“Ako’y nagpapasalamat naman sa kanila na sa palagay ay naramdaman nila, they have made their point and they have. They have made their point very clearly na kailangan tingnan at pag-aralan nang mabuti,” the President said during a media interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Kadiwa Para sa Manggagawa in Quezon City on Wednesday.
“Ito ‘yung sinabi ko na noon, balikan itong sistema na sa pagpalit ng — ‘yung sa jeepney at saka sa mga bus at saka sa mga iba’t ibang transport areas ay kailangan natin tingnan nang mabuti na hindi tayo nagbibigay ng dagdag na pahirap para sa ating mga transport workers,” the chief executive added.
President Marcos noted that the government is now looking at ways of ensuring that no public utility transport worker will be rendered jobless once the PUVMP is fully implemented with the introduction of electric vehicles on the streets.
“Of course, napaka-importante na safe ang kanilang mga sasakyan at kapag tayo nga ay papasok sa era ng electric vehicles ay dadahan-dahanin natin. Ngunit, ang problema yata, ang problema na kanilang sinasabi ay baka hindi sila mapautang para makapagbili ng bagong sasakyan. Kaya’t ‘yan ang tinitingnan namin ngayon na tiyakin na walang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil hindi nakapagbili ng electric vehicle, pagdating na panahon. Wala pa tayo doon,” President Marcos pointed out.
The government has also been thoroughly studying and tweaking the systems in inspecting and PUVs during the extension period of consolidation of transport groups under the PUVMP until December 30 of this year, the President said.
“Pero, sa ngayon, ang ginagawa lang natin tiyakin lang natin na safe ang ating mga sasakyan, na hindi malalagay sa alanganin ang mga pasahero, ang mga commuter, at maganda naman ang aming usapan at nabigyan natin ang sarili natin together with the transport groups and the government nang konting oras para December 30 — nag-postpone tayo hanggang December,” the chief executive said. (PND)
