Commuters spend hours in line on first weekday of community quarantine

Thousands of commuters across Luzon spent hours in line on Monday, the first weekday of mandatory quarantine, as they waited for their turn to be inspected at checkpoints manned by uniformed personnel.

All persons entering Metro Manila are required to undergo temperature checks as part of the community quarantine of the capital region to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Several reports on GMA News TV’s Balitanghali documented the long lines for both vehicles and commuters seeking to enter Metro Manila.

The community quarantine came into effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. The Philippines has 140 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths, as of Sunday noon.

Ortigas Avenue Extension

At the Ortigas Avenue Extension, authorities ordered half of the passengers inside jeepneys at full seating capacity to vacate the vehicle.

Soldiers also chided motorcyclists who had another passenger onboard with them.

“Very cooperative ‘yong mga kababayan natin maliban lang do’n sa ilan na hindi nila maiwasang magsakay ng sobra,” said Police Major Wilson Lopez, Eastern Police District deputy chief for operations.

Muntinlupa-Laguna Boundary

Motorists at the boundary between Muntinlupa and Laguna suffered bumper to bumper traffic due to the long lines for checkpoints.

All buses were also ordered to end their trips at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, forcing commuters to walk the rest of the way.

Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City

One lane was allotted for motorcycles while four were opened for private and public vehicles.

Social distancing were observed by commuters in this area.

Each individual passing through the checkpoint was asked to present a valid proof of identification.

Valenzuela Gateway Complex Terminal

While there was no checkpoint at the Valenzuela Gateway Complex Terminal, commuters were hard-pressed to get onboard buses.

Buses were only allowed to fill half of its seating capacity as part of social distancing measures.

In other buses, however, commuters were cramped together.

San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan-Caloocan Boundary

At the boundary between San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and Caloocan City, some commuters said they waited three hours before arriving at the checkpoint.

Upon inspection by authorities, some individuals were held off from entering Metro Manila due to high body temperature.

Soldiers manning the checkpoints said they had sought assistance from barangay health workers but no one arrived to help them conduct inspections.

Quezon City-San Mateo, Rizal Boundary

At the Batasan-San Mateo Road, some commuters said they spent two hours in traffic due to the long lines for the checkpoint.

Some passengers resorted to running past authorities at the checkpoint saying, “Late na ‘ko, late na ‘ko sa trabaho,” according to a report by Maki Pulido.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año hailed the boundary between Valenzuela and Meycauayan, Bulacan as “one of the best” checkpoints for its preparedness.

The checkpoint is equipped with a tent that serves as a quarantine area.

Aside from the tent, there is also a portalet and handwashing area.

“Sa lahat ng mga inikot, I can consider this as one of the best,” Año said. “Kung sakaling may person under investigation or makitang symptoms, mayroon kaagad paglalagyan sa kanila.”

The Interior chief added that women, children, and the elderly should be prioritized in public vehicles.

DOTR guidelines

Under the guidelines of the Department of Transportation, buses are not allowed to carry more than 25 passengers, including the driver and conductor.

For jeepneys and public utility vehicles, only half of the normal seating capacity should be filled.

Meanwhile, UVs are not permitted to seat more than six passengers, including the driver.

Taxis are likewise limited to four passengers who must be one seat apart from each other.

3,000 soldiers deployed

The Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force-Natinal Capital Region deployed some 3,000 soldiers as an augmentation force for checkpoints.

Task force chief Brigadier General Alex Luna allayed concerns that their deployment implies a de-facto martial law.

“Sabi nila parang martial law. No, I [don’t] want to cause alarm sa tao. We are not fighting any terrorists here, we’re not even fighting a human being. Sabi ko, ‘We are fighting here against a threat,’” he said.—AOL, GMA News