Children in Metro Manila are still barred from taking public transport, even if they are with their parents or guardians, despite the allowed capacity for passengers on public vehicles being raised to 70 percent, a Transportation Department official said Saturday.
Meanwhile, motorists can expect a rollback of 90 centavos per liter on the pump price of gasoline, as well as a cutback of 40 to 50 centavos on diesel prices, by next week, local retailer Unioil said in a statement.
The rollback for the week of November 9 to 15 would end 10 consecutive weeks of oil price increases that have sent gas prices past the P60 mark.
Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Manuel Gonzales said there are still no guidelines from the agency or other authorities even as quarantine protocols were eased with the decline in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region.
The capacity for rail lines and select public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the region was raised to 70 percent from 50 percent on Nov. 4.
"For the past 2 days, IACT has prohibited boarding children in public transport because there are no guidelines yet from our transportation heads," said Gonzales, who also serves as the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (IACT) chief.
“Those who have children with them are not allowed to ride these vehicles even if the PUVs' allowed capacity has been increased to 70 percent," he added.
In mid-October, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority allowed the travel of minors in the capital region, home to 13 million people, as long as they are accompanied by adults.
Now that Metro Manila shifted to Alert Level 2, minors are also allowed to go out and go to establishments and malls, regardless of vaccination status.
Fairs or kids' amusement areas such as playgrounds, playrooms, and kiddie rides were also allowed to operate under the looser quarantine level.
Earlier, the Philippines began the vaccination of all children aged 12 to 17 in an expansion of its pediatric jab coverage against COVID-19.
No coronavirus vaccine has, however, been approved for toddlers and school age children. With Alena Mae Flores