The Department of Transportation has issued guidelines on the community quarantine and social distancing measures after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered to place the National Capital Region under community quarantine to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“We all have to bear the burden, carry personal inconveniences and sacrifices for the common good and our nation’s interest. These protocols are temporary. The deeper we cooperate and unselfishly carry our share, the faster we shall overcome,” Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade said.
During the quarantine period, the aviation sector has announced that there will be no general aviation flights within Metro Manila. As such, flights will be diverted to Sangley Airport in Cavite or to the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
For international flights, there will be special airport-to-airport trips arranged by the airlines in coordination with airport authorities.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will also encourage local airlines to operate sweeper flight/s out of Manila and into other airports.
The rail sector, meanwhile, announced that trains will be loaded at reduced capacity to minimize the concentration of passengers per train.
Train station personnel will also regulate the entry of passengers into stations, and will implement measures for orderly and distanced queuing both inside and outside stations.
A passenger showing COVID-19 symptoms or having a body temperature of 38 degrees centigrade and above will be refused entry to the stations and trains, pursuant to the guidelines imposed by the Department of Health.
The women’s and senior citizens section of train cars will be further separated, designating a subsection for senior citizens.
Philippine National Railways operations from Alabang to Calamba and vice versa will be suspended during the community quarantine period.
Point-to-Point (P2P) buses from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Clark International Airport and Sangley Airport will be allowed to operate as scheduled.
For the maritime sector, crew members of cargo vessels originating from COVID-19 affected ports will be subjected to stringent quarantine procedures and will not be allowed to disembark.
Passenger traffic in all ports going in and out of Metro Manila will be suspended during the period of community quarantine. However, ferry services within NCR will continue its operations provided that it will follow the 50 percent reduced capacity as prescribed by the Maritime Industry Authority.