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‘Focus on transport now, not infra’: business groups urge govt amid mobility curbs

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Warren de Guzman, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Commuters queue up to ride the EDSA bus carousel from the Roosevelt station in Quezon City on Monday, the first workday after Metro Manila shifts to modified enhanced community quarantine. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/08/23/20210823-covid19-ecq-edsa-commuters-md-8-s.jpg"/><figcaption>Commuters queue up to ride the EDSA bus carousel from the Roosevelt station in Quezon City on Monday, the first workday after Metro Manila shifts to modified enhanced community quarantine. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA (UPDATE) - Business groups on Monday said the government should shift its focus on solving transport problems now amid the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of boasting about infrastructure projects. With buses and jeepneys limited to just half capacity during the modified enhanced community quarantine, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the government needs to address current transport issues for workers. “Hintuan na yang pagyayabang ng kung anu-anong project. Ang importante, sa Manila, papasukin ang lahat ng dapat papasukin na mga sasakyan,&quot; Sergio Ortiz-Luis (Stop boasting about projects. What’s important, in Manila, is to let in all the vehicles that need to be let in.)Commuters in Metro Manila were greeted by longer lines to buses, trains and other public transport as more industries were allowed to reopen with the capital’s transition to MECQ from ECQ.An official of the International Chamber of Commerce Philippines meanwhile acknowledged that even though the government has made gains in its infrastructure push, the country’s main problem is the pandemic. “It&#x27;s not the order of the day. The order of the day is how we combat COVID-19. Nauuna yung alibi no? (The alibi comes first.)&quot; said Jess Varela, director general of the International Chamber of Commerce Philippines. PCCI last year called for <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/24/20/business-group-bats-for-80-percent-operating-capacity-for-public-transport">raising public transport</a> capacity to 80 percent to hasten the economy’s rebound. Sonny Matula, chair of the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and the Federation of Free Workers said the government has not been addressing the plight of workers during the pandemic.&quot;Dapat sana magkonsulta man lang kung hindi nila alam kung ano ang nangyari sa baba. Sa kasalukuyan, nakikita namin, lalong lalo na ang mangagawa ay isolated sa decision making ng pamahalaan,” Matula said.(There should be consultation so they know what’s happening on the ground. Right now, what we’re seeing is that workers are isolated from the decision-making process of the government.)The Transportation Department earlier gave free train rides during the 2-week ECQ this month to people authorized to travel to work during the lockdown. The DOTr said the free rides will continue during MECQ.&quot;Vaccinated APORs [authorized person outside of residence], who have received their 1st or 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine, can avail the free ride in LRT-2 and PNR trains during off-peak hours, while APORs can ride the MRT-3 for free on peak hours.,&quot; DOTr said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/02/21/free-train-rides-vaccinated-passengers-ecq-dotr">Free train rides for vaccinated passengers during ECQ - DOTr</a></li></ul>Business and labor groups also criticized the government’s handling of hard lockdowns saying not enough was done to improve the healthcare system during previous ECQ declarations. PCCI said they had been urging the government since last year to take care of the country’s health workers and add more hospital bed capacity so that they don’t become overwhelmed when COVID-19 cases surge again. The group earlier called on the government to stop resorting to <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/19/21/pcci-asks-govt-to-stop-resorting-to-lockdowns">lockdowns</a>. A member of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines meanwhile questioned whether lockdowns were the correct response. “Is it enough to lockdown the economy? I know we have to follow protocols and procedures, but maybe, maybe, I maybe wrong, we are approaching a health issue with military, stick solutions,&quot; said ECOP active member Butch Guerrero. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/03/21/dotr-keep-current-public-transport-supply-ecq">Current public transport to be retained during ECQ but only APORs will be accommodated</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/21/21/some-covid-19-curbs-remain-as-ncr-shifts-to-mecq">Some COVID-19 curbs remain as Metro Manila, other areas shift to MECQ</a></li></ul><div>RELATED VIDEO</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1754115" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Business groups said the government should focus on solving transport problems amid the pandemic, instead of boasting about infrastructure projects. 

‘Focus on transport now, not infra’: business groups urge govt amid mobility curbs

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‘Focus on transport now, not infra’: business groups urge govt amid mobility curbs

Warren de Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 23, 2021 04:02 PM PHT

|

Updated August 23, 2021 06:35 PM PHT

Read More:

PCCI

ECOP

ECQ

MECQ

Sergio Ortiz-Luis

Jess Varela

Sonny Matula

Nagkaisa Labor Coalition

transport

DOTr

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