NEDA: 1/5 of NCR workers unable to go to work in September due to lack of public transpo

Over 20% of workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) were unable to go to work in September due to the lack of public transportation during the month, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) reported Tuesday.

Data released by the NEDA showed that 58.2% of workers were allowed to resume work in September, but public transportation could only accommodate 35.5% due to social distancing rules and lower operating turnout, leaving 22.7% of workers in the metropolis unable to go to work.

"[T]he public transportation was restricted. This prevented many Filipinos from leaving their homes and reporting for work even if their industries are allowed to operate," Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said at a virtual briefing.

Metro Manila was under general community quarantine (GCQ) for the full month of September, as recommended by the Metro Manila Council made up of the 17 political units in the area.

Meanwhile, select modes of public transportation reopened on June 1, albeit on a limited basis capped at 30% under a two-phased approach.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), for its part, issued guidelines to increase public transport capacity with a combination of a faster turnaround, service contracting, and social distancing such as the "one seat apart" rule.

Provincial buses resumed operations on September 30, still in compliance with national health safety standards.

The country's main railways — the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), and the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) — also increased their current maximum capacity to 30% in October, from the previous range of 13 to 18%.

"As the government pursues efforts to avoid virus surges while easing restrictions on businesses and transportation, the economic team is hopeful that Congress will do its part to help the economy bounce back faster by passing the pending recovery bills within the year," said Chua.

Among the pending recovery bills being pushed by NEDA are the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, the Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiative to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) Act, and the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act. — RSJ, GMA News