By Alexandria Dennise San Juan and Richa Noriega
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered the Philippine National Railways (PNR), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and Metro Rail Transit-3 to hire qualified employees retrenched by the LRT-1 management.
"Hire qualified personnel to our rail lines and projects. Kawawa ang mga tao. Kung kailan pandemya, tsaka pa sila mawawalan ng trabaho (It is pitiful that they will lose their jobs during a pandemic)," Tugade said in a statement.
"We must look into the possibility of absorbing them as quickly as we can. Huwag natin silang pabayaan (Let us not neglect them). It’s the least and most humane thing we can do for them at this time," he added.
The DOTr chief issued the instruction after the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), operator of the LRT-1, confirmed that it will layoff over 20 percent or over 100 workers of the railway due to a significant drop in its ridership due to the current health crisis.
Since the enforcement of an enhanced community quarantine mid-March, all forms of public transportation, including the LRT-1, have been suspended.
The line's operations resumed under general community quarantine on June 1 and were halted anew when Metro Manila reverted to a modified ECQ from Aug. 4 to 18.
Meanwhile, Tugade called on the LRMC to subject all of its personnel to swab testing to ensure the health and safety of its employees, as well as the passengers.
"They should swab all their people. Cost is not the primary issue here. We can discuss who absorbs the cost at some later time. What matters most is the health and safety of commuters and their employees," he said.
He instructed PNR GM Junn Magno and DOTr Assistant Secretay Fidel Cruz to thoroughly review the health and safety protocols being implemented by the LRMC for COVID-19.
The LRMC had earlier assured that each of the retrenched employees will receive their benefits under the law and even beyond what is included in the existing Collective Bargaining Agreement to show its support to the affected staff.
READ MORE: LRT-1 to lay off over 100 employees