Marcos admin ready in case transport strike pushes through

The Marcos administration prepared contingencies in case the planned transport strike pushes through next week.

During Friday's Inter-Agency meeting presided by Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevarra, concerned government agencies presented contingencies designed to lessen the effects of a transport group's strike on commuters.

Nevertheless, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) projected that only 6% of public utility vehicles (PUVs) nationwide were expected to join the strike.

According to the Presidential Communications Office, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) would be mobilizing around 106 of its transport vehicles to help commuters.

The PNP will also deploy its personnel to monitor the situation on the ground and also to maintain peace and order in affected areas and routes.

The PNP was also tasked to mobilize its regional assets to give aid to those who would be affected by the transport strike, deploying at least 41 transport vehicles to ferry commuters to their destinations.

Further, the MMDA and the Department of Transportation would be coordinating for the possible suspension of the number coding scheme in Metro Manila during the strike.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said earlier that he hoped the strike would not push through.

While acknowledging that the public utility vehicle modernization was necessary, he said it was not urgent as there was a need to "look properly at what the real timetable is for the introduction of electric vehicles."

The planned transport holiday in the National Capital Region and Region 3 is from March 6 to 12. — DVM, GMA Integrated News