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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider DOTr execs mandated to commute once a week

DOTr execs mandated to commute once a week

Published Sep 15, 2025 05:46 pm
Traditional jeepneys ply along Taft Avenue in Manila on June 18, 2025. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III says the proposed fare increase for public utility vehicles (PUVs) has not yet been approved by the Board pending the outcome of a study by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) on the impact of the ongoing tension in the Middle East on the price of fuel. (John Louie Abrina / MANILA BULLETIN)
Traditional jeepneys ply along Taft Avenue in Manila on June 18, 2025. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III says the proposed fare increase for public utility vehicles (PUVs) has not yet been approved by the Board pending the outcome of a study by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) on the impact of the ongoing tension in the Middle East on the price of fuel. (John Louie Abrina / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a measure to improve the commuting experience, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is requiring key officials to commute to office at least once a week so they will understand the daily challenges of the riding public and the how to improve it.
Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez issued a memorandum order on Monday, Sept. 15, to mandate executives of the rail and road sectors of the DOTr to use public transportation.
Officials asked to comply include the undersecretaries and assistant secretaries for the offices of Road Transport and Infrastructure, Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure, and Railways.
Also mandated are the top brass of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Philippine National Railways (PNR), and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).
“Itong mga opisyal natin sa road at rail sector, sila talaga ‘yung mga dapat lumalabas lagi kasi karamihan ng ating mga proyekto ay nasa mga sektor na ito,” said Lopez.
(These officials in the road and rail sector, they are the ones who should be going out often because most of our projects are in these sectors.)
The aforementioned officials are directed to take public modes of transportation available to them, such as jeepneys, buses, and trains.
They are asked to commute from their respective residences to their office for a minimum of once a week, beginning Wednesday, Sept. 17.
In the same manner, all officials are required to submit weekly accomplishment reports that would show their proof of compliance in the form of tickets or photos to the undersecretary of the sector concerned.
These reports likewise cover their recommendations and plans of action on how public transportation can be improved.
The undersecretaries shall collate all reports, which will be submitted to the transportation secretary for discussion during the executive committee meetings of the agency.
Lopez said asking DOTr officials to have first hand experience in the operations of public transportation allow them to better understand the predicaments of the commuting public.
From this, he said the agency can ensure the effective implementation of rail and road projects.
While officials from other sectors are not mandated, Lopez said he is also urging them to commute “because this is really the only way to see and feel firsthand the hardship that commuters experience.”
Lopez, who was only appointed as the acting secretary earlier this month, has vowed to be action-oriented in an effort to improve the commuting experience.
He will push for the fast-tracking of the government’s big ticket transportation projects to improve commuting for Filipinos, giving them more time to spend with their families.
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