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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Palace: Marcos won't oppose DOTr's once-a-week commute policy for its officials

Palace: Marcos won't oppose DOTr's once-a-week commute policy for its officials

Published Sep 16, 2025 03:56 pm
Scores of commuters take the LRT-1 going to their destinations. (Mark Balmores)
Scores of commuters take the LRT-1 going to their destinations. (Mark Balmores)
President Marcos will not oppose the policy of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) which requires officials to take public transportation at least once a week.
As long as the policy is reasonable, the President will not block it, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
"Kung anuman po ang magiging polisiya ng anumang departamento kung ito naman po ay risonable at hindi po nalalabag ang karapatang-pantao, hindi po iyan hahadlangan ng Pangulo (If any department adopts a policy that is reasonable and does not violate human rights, the President will not block it)," Castro said in a Palace briefing.
The Palace official also agreed that the policy has good intentions as it aims to make public officials understand the challenges in the country's public transportation.
"At maganda naman po ang magiging adhikain nito, para kung sinuman po ang mga public officials natin ay talagang maranasan kung ano ang nararanasan ng mga pangkaraniwang mananakay (And its goal would be good, so that our public officials truly experience what ordinary commuters go through)," Castro said.
On Monday, acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez issued a memorandum order directing executives of the rail and road sectors of the DOTr to use public transportation.
Under the memorandum, 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.
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) were also required to abide by the order.

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