“How (Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil) will perform in her new job remains to be seen, but the trust and confidence of the president in her capabilities will no doubt serve to prod her to prove more than equal to the task of leading the Office of the Press Secretary in the coming months”
What can be reasonably done in an important government agency within a short span of three months?
Plenty, it would seem, if you have ample leadership qualities.
The office we’re referring to is the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that oversees the operations of various public transportation modes: buses, jeepneys, UV Express, and even tricycles and pedicabs.
We all know that even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in March 2020, public transport services particularly in Metro Manila had been sorely inadequate and messy, if not chaotic.
The pandemic brought nearly all public transport to a virtual standstill as the government imposed lockdowns to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
With Metro Manila streets virtually empty because of the lockdowns, many jeepney drivers, for one, had resorted to begging for loose change from private motorists to feed their families.
Some of the displaced jeepney drivers in Caloocan City who had carried handwritten appeals for financial help from passing motorists were even rounded up by authorities and spent a week in jail in 2020 for “disorderly conduct” and “resisting arrest” — if we’re not mistaken.
With the COVID-19 situation now slowly easing up after more than two years, public transport is also returning to pre-pandemic levels, and with it the need to rationalize their operations under the new normal.
Among the first moves by President Bongbong Marcos after taking office on June 30 was to appoint a new head for the LTFRB who could help untangle the Gordian knot that Metro traffic had become in past years, and to ease the ordeal of commuters who had to deal with the public transportation crisis.
Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil was designated as the LTFRB chairperson in July and hit the ground running, holding dialogues and consultations with drivers’ groups to ask them what their problems were and how the agency could help them.
Barely three months in her job as LTFRB chair, however, Garafil was designated by the Chief Executive as the new Press Secretary.
Quite possibly, this was partly in recognition of her previous stint as a journalist and also for holding other positions in government, including as prosecutor under the Department of Justice and serving as head of an internal committee in the House of Representatives.
How she will perform in her new job remains to be seen, but the trust and confidence of the president in her capabilities will no doubt serve to prod her to prove more than equal to the task of leading the Office of the Press Secretary in the coming months.
For now, it’s Garafil’s brief tenure as LTFRB chair that shows her mettle as a public servant, if we’re to believe public transport groups.
Four public transport groups and mobility advocates: Move as One, Move Metro Manila, Manibela, and Komyut (Commuters Unite) have issued a statement expressing gratitude to the former LTFRB chair.
Here’s their statement: “We express our gratitude to Atty. Cheloy Garafil for her meaningful service as the chairperson-designate of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
“We note that under previous LTFRB leaderships, the public transport sector had been ignored and neglected.
“With Garafil at the helm, transport groups and mobility advocates were finally heard; policies were reviewed and rectified; reasonable fare adjustments for different public transport modes were authorized to enable public transport operators to remain financially viable given the massive public transport shortage; the Service Contracting Program was supported as a means to augment and introduce performance monitoring; and public transport supply increased albeit still insufficient.
“The Board under Garafil’s leadership took the bold step to reopen pre-pandemic routes which were discontinued under the guise of route rationalization, as follows: 133 pre-pandemic, non-EDSA public utility vehicle (PUV) routes in Metro Manila and in nearby provinces for 11,000 buses, jeepneys and UV Express Vehicles (MC 2022-067); 43 pre-pandemic routes plied by 3,513 buses jeepneys and UV Express units (MC2022-067); and 56 pre-pandemic routes (MC 2022-074).
“These memorandum circulars released 16,025 public transport vehicles previously kept idle, and now provide additional transport service to thousands of commuters in Metro Manila and provinces daily.
“While only serving for three months as the LTFRB Chairperson-designate, Garafil was able to provide clear leadership anchored on commuter welfare in the transport regulatory body. Thank you and good luck on your new journey, Atty. Cheloy!
“We look forward to supporting and working with the new (LTFRB) leadership.
”The question now is: Will the new LTFRB leadership be able to further streamline public transport in Metro Manila and other urban areas with growing populations in the coming months? We really hope it does, not only to ease the burden on the backs of ordinary Filipino commuters, but also to help the economy move forward with giant strides.
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