An electric bus company lent their vehicles for free to the Pasig City government as part of their mission to help the frontliners and other people who are in need of public transportation amid the community quarantine in Metro Manila and Luzon.

Global Electric Transport (GET) in an Instagram post showed the two electric buses they sent to the government of Pasig to provide free rides for essential frontline government personnel and health workers.

“Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and the Pasig Transport Department were quick to recognize the issue the ban posed and formulated what we saw as an appropriate crisis management response. Pasig City rolled out emergency transport initiatives for essential personnel and those within Pasig’s borders. This includes providing free bus and shuttle services from major pickup points to the city’s hospitals, as well as repurposing bicycles from its Bicycle Share Program,” the company stated.

“The city government was vocal on social media and offline, encouraging people to help however way they could. We at GET will be working in conjunction with Pasig City Hall to provide our COMET electric minibus service free of charge for the Pasig Public Market to Shaw Boulevard route, aiding frontliners reach hospitals such as Rizal Medical Center,” they added.

According to them, instead of paying for a tricycle fare, people are going to enjoy free rides in their bigger vehicles.

Sotto previously proposed to allow tricycles to operate to serve the health workers, frontliners and other people who are required to visit the hospital, but it was rejected by the government because of social distancing issues.

 

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Solidarity is not an act of charity, but a mutual help between forces that fight for the same goal. -Samora Machel. ‎ ‏‏‎ The COMET will be assisting Pasig City in ferrying front liners to the hospitals and city hall and other key areas in Manila (Philippines).?? ‎ ‏‏‎ There are no rides available. People riding the comet would have had to pay $1.50 to $2.00 a ride on a tricycle (they are allowing only one passenger). Remember this is in a county where the minimum daily wage is $10.00 ‎ ‏‏‎ From @qevtech we feel proud about this, it’s amazing see how our technology crosses borders and contributes acts like these. But we do not forget that the real heroes are the @cometride drivers and service team who are doing this possible and are giving this magnific service without rest. ‎ ‏‏‎ For all of each of you, today all our team from Barcelona is with you. We’re all in this toGETher! ?? ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ ‎ ‏‏‎ #covid19 #stopcoronavirus #goelectrictoday #qevtechnologies #emobility #race2road #ebus #ekit

A post shared by ??? ???????????? (@qev_tech) on Mar 18, 2020 at 3:28am PDT

Sotto cited that the Pasig City government’s lack of service vehicle was the reason why they’re considering allowing tricycles to operate.

Despite being rejected, Sotto said that they’re going to follow the orders of the government and going to find other ways to provide temporary means of transportation to its frontliners.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to release the one-time financial assistance worth ₱5,000 to the workers affected by the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and Metro Manila.

In an interview, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said that all employees, whatever their employment status are eligible to get financial assistance.

Bello clarified that the people who would receive the one-time assistance would be based on the payroll list submitted by the employers to DOLE.

According to DOLE, people who are eligible to apply must be working to a private establishment that affected by the COVID-19.

Employers are also required to submit the following via online to DOLE’s regional office or its provincial/field offices:

• Establishment Report on the COVID-19 pursuant to Labor Advisory No. 9 Series of 2020
• Company payroll for the month prior to the implementation of flexible work arrangement or temporary closure

Within three working days, employers/applicants should receive the following email from DOLE.

• For approved application: Notice of Approval
• For denied application: Notice of denial

If DOLE approved the application of the employer/applicant, the agency shall issue the financial support directly to the beneficiary’s payroll account.

Aside from the cash assistance, DOLE also announced that they’re going to launch a ‘Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa displaced/underprivileged workers’ (TUPAD)’ financial assistance program for informal workers.

Bello said that the program was aimed to give temporary jobs to the informal workers.

Informal workers that eligible to join the program are going to receive a minimum wage salary.

Tricycle drivers, taxi drivers and street vendors are part of the informal sectors.

Doctors and nurses who are fighting the COVID-19 in the Philippines are asking the public to stay at home if they really want to help the health workers who are busy fighting the virus.

Several health workers posted photos on social media and while holding a paper with a message “We stayed at work for you, stay at home for us!”.

According to the experts, the most effective prevention against COVID-19 is social distancing or avoiding getting near with other people who may be carrying the virus.

The fewer the people getting infected, the more time the nurses and doctors could take a rest.

As of writing, there are already 202 cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines and it’s still expected to increase.

Meanwhile, a new study from the United States claimed that COVID-19 could stay longer in the air than what the experts thought before.

That’s why the government ordered a enhanced community quarantine in the whole Luzon and put the Philippines under state of calamity as a way to fight the virus.

Several LGUs helped the health workers and other frontliners to get a mode of transportation as the government suspended all public vehicles from operating until next month.

While Vico Sotto is receiving admiration and love from netizens on social media, a radio host expressed displeasure over the media mileage being received by the Pasig City Mayor.

In a series of Facebook posts, Mark Lopez criticized Sotto and accused him of relying on public relations, mainstream media and trolls to gain popularity.

Lopez then called Sotto as the Mayor of media and not by Pasig City.

“Hindi naman Mayor ng Pasig yan eh…Mayor yan ng media… Maglolokohan pa ba tayo?” Lopez said.

“Hindi nyo na maloloko ang Pilipino. Yang trending ng Mayor nyo sa twitter? Paid media plan yan, pareho ng kay Leni,” he added.

Sotto became trending on Twitter yesterday after several bloggers questioned the sincerity of the Pasig City Mayor.

They also criticized Sotto for allowing the operation of tricycles in Pasig City despite the mass transportation suspension ordered by the national government.

The radio host’s post has gone viral on the internet and hundreds of Sotto’s supporters swarmed the comment section of Lopez’s Facebook account to criticize him.

However, Lopez accused his critics as trolls and asked the ‘PR handler’ of Sotto to hire people who legitimately living in Pasig City.

“Yung PR Handler nung Pasig Mayor, gumamit kayo totoong tao na taga Pasig kung aatake kayo sa social media, hindi mga anonymous trolls,” he said.

Lopez then questioned why Sotto was receiving too much exposure while the other Mayors who are also working hard in their respective places are not getting noticed.

“Sa Cainta nga at Marikina, ang ayos ng patakbo, at mga constituents nila talaga ang nagsasabi… Walang pa epek sa media at hindi kailangan ng trending sa twitter para mambola… There is a big difference between authentic public service versus hype and hollow rhetoric. And kitang kita naman yan.” he said.

Lopez then mentioned that he also criticized the Mayor of Las Pinas yesterday and even urged the government to file charges against her but no one criticized him on social media.

Another netizen, Krizette Laureta Chu also complained about the “anonymous trolls” who swarmed her Facebook comment section.

According to Chu, she didn’t say anything bad against Sotto, but the Mayor’s supporters became too defensive to their idol.

Because of the incident, she suspected that someone is grooming Sotto to take a higher position in the government.

“I didn’t even say anything bad about Vico Sotto, I just said he’s doing well but should stop asking for exemptions re tricycle because doctors and other people understand it’s too small to practice social distancing (passenger and driver) plus hard to disinfect it since virus known to stay in surfaces for long time,” Chu said.

“Is he the LP flag bearer for 2022 or something? Is he being groomed to take on a bigger seat that you can’t call him out? Does he have a crisis control/PR MACHINERY team? Kumalma nga kayo, at unahin muna ang 2020. Wala naman akong sinasabing nakakaloka against your mayor. Kahit basahin nyo lahat ng feed ko. Sabi Lang mali yung May pa tricycle. ANG OA HA,” she added.

“Halos murahin namin si Mel Aguilar ng Las Pinas wala namang ganitong trolls. Si Joy Belmonte nga halos madurog na on soc med. Pero one gentle reminder to Vico and trolls descend? WHY?! Seriously why is Vico untouchable all of a sudden? Natalo tuloy ang PR machinery ni Yorme sa rabidness ng trolls who defend Vico,” she also said.

While the critics of Sotto accused the Mayor of using trolls, the leader of Pasig also said that he’s being swarmed by trolls, but no time to respond to them.

“Wala po kaming panahon makipag laban sa mga trolls at paninira. Lahat na lang gusto nilang gawin politika,” Sotto said.

“Alam nyo naman po wala ako troll farm. Kayo na po bahalang tulungan ang pasig para di mabahala/malito ang mga pasigueño sa mga trolls. SALAMAT PO.” he added.

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President Rodrigo Duterte put whole Luzon under enhanced community quarantine to control the movement of the people and prevent COVID-19 from spreading in other parts of the country.

Duterte also repeatedly said that people should ask relief goods to their barangay captains.

However, it seems that one LGU fail to inform their people about ‘social distancing’ and other things ordered by the President as hundreds of them went in front of their city hall to ask for relief goods.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar of Las Piñas 

The city government of Las Piñas received a tremendous amount of criticisms on social media after several residents of the said place complained about the lack of relief goods.

In the photo posted by Jay Abanil Manigos, it showed people lining up and disregarding social distancing in front of Las Piñas City Hall, hoping to get a relief good from Mayor Imelda Aguilar.

Some of the people who lined up are very vulnerable senior citizens.

“Akala ko marami pamigay na relief good food,hinde kami nabigyan napagud ako sa pila,nasing uwian nalang kami di poh kami nagbigyan ng pagkain kawawa ang umuwi wlang dala ok lang man ako kahit d makatangap pero yung iba kawawa talaga,” netizen Jay Abanil Manigos said.

‘

Radio Host Mark Lopez also posted a video showing how the people are trying to get first in line for relief goods.

He urged the national government to make the officials of Las Piñas responsible for letting a mass gathering happen in front of their city hall.

“HINDI HO ITO BIRO. HINDI HO ITO PUEDE ISAWALANG BAHALA. HINDI HO ITO PUEDENG IPAGPALIBAN O UPUAN AT SASABIHAN LANG NA “UNDER INVESTIGATION NA!” NAPAKA RECKLESS PO NITO! NAPAKA IRRESPONSABLE! AT ETO HO ANG MAGPAPALALA SA SITWASYON NATIN SA BUONG BANSA! HINDI LANG PO ITO LAS PIŃAS! BUONG PILIPINAS ANG NILAGAY SA PELIGRO!” Lopez said.

As of writing, there are already six recorded cases of COVID-19 in Las Pinas.

President Duterte put Luzon under community lockdown to prevent the people from gathering as prevention against COVID-19.

Recently, Duterte urged the LGUs to follow the national government orders and the rules of the community quarantine or else they might face charges.

President Duterte announced that he’s going to ask the military to help the stranded people because of the enhanced community quarantine.

During a televised address on March 19, Duterte said that he’s going to talk to the military about the possibilities of giving accommodation and food to the stranded people who cannot go to their homes because of the community quarantine.

“Your air force and your army will help you wherever you are, kung wala ka nang mauwian, kung wala na kayong matulugan, I am asking the military commanders from different camps all over the country that you can go there and ask accommodation at pagkain,” Duterte said.

The President expressed concern to the people stranded because of the enhanced community quarantine.

“Lalo na yung mga batang nagbakasyon na walang mauuwian, walang tatanggap, my heart bleeds for them, hindi mo malaman kung saan ka pupunta, Pilipino ka naman pero wala naman tatangap sayo, to me I can understand the refusal, but more than your feeling ang akin is to somehow protect Filipinos in distress,” the President said.

The Philippine Army already launched Operation Libreng Sakay to transport the people affected by the community quarantine.

He then urged all LGUs to implement the lockdowns in their respective places “to save the people” from COVID-19.

The President also offered prayers to the people who are living in the shanties because they are facing difficulties in practicing social distancing.

“Ang pinaka remedyo dito is just to magkalayo kayo, ngayon kung bahay ninyo sa bukid ay maliliit, eh dikit dikit kayo, sabayan nalang natin ng dasal, tutulungan yung mga tao, wala sa kanilang kakayahan na mag sunod ng social distancing, better just keep your distance from strangers,” he said.

Luzon is under enhanced community quarantine since Tuesday.

Mass transportation was also temporarily suspended which affected thousands of Filipinos.

Netizens were amazed after seeing how Baguio City is following the enhanced community quarantine ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Baguio, a place was known to be very crowded suddenly became empty because of the order from the government and LGUs.

Under Executive Order No. 65, Mayor Benjamin Magalong declared community quarantine in Baguio City.

According to the executive order, “only those persons with essential travel purpose, or employment/business in the city shall be allowed to enter”.

They also disallowed people to go outside if they’re:

• 60 years old and above
• Immunocompromised persons
• Minors
• A person with a history of pulmonary ailment

Magalong also forbids anyone from doing mass gatherings and discouraged religious activities in churches.

He also warned public utility drivers to avoid violating the mass public transportation ban or else face charges.

“I am giving them (PUJ and taxi drivers) only 30 minutes to leave the streets and park their vehicles or they will face charges,” Magalong said in a statement.

The order seems enforced very well as some netizens posted photos of some popular places in Baguio.

GEN. LUNA ST.

SESSION ROAD

UPPER MABINI STREET

BAGUIO CITY PUBLIC MARKET

BURNHAM PARK

MAHARLIKA TO TIONGSAN OVERPASS

PEOPLE’S PARK

The whole Luzon placed under community quarantine since Tuesday to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the Philippines.

Millions of Filipino workers were affected by the community quarantine as they’re discouraged already to go to work and stay at home to avoid being infected by the virus.

The community quarantine was expected to end next month after the Holy Week.