PHP 16 a day | Senior citizens vulnerable to COVID-19 with meager pension need more support - AKBAYAN

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"P16 a day for a month!"

This the amount indigent senior citizens have to survive on during the lockdown. Akbayan's Etta Rosales warned that our current social pension system of P500 a month for indigent senior citizens will starve them without immediate government support.

Rosales also lamented that there are more than 3 million senior citizens in the country who receive no pension at all amid COVID-19, leaving them with no financial capacity to prepare for the pandemic.

"Our senior citizens are dying in this battle with no support to prepare for the pandemic. 9 senior citizens have died due to COVID-19 from the 14 reported deaths as of Tuesday," Rosales said.

Rosales is citing data from the 2017 Coalition of Services for the Elderly (COSE) study that shows 40% of 8 million senior citizens have no pension.

"If our workers are laid off or forced to stop working and will receive no wages, where will our senior citizens get their money for food and medicine? These senior citizens rely on their working family member to give them support," Rosales added.

"Don't leave the senior citizens behind. They are retired and rely on pension. They have worked years on end supporting our economy, we need to support them too. Our community is only strong against sickness if our senior citizens are strong too," Rosales added.

"The government should increase the cash aid to P10,000 for the employed and informal workers affected by the lockdown and ensure that 4Ps payout continues for the month. Barangays should help provide their health care and other needs. We can't abandon our senior citizens with just scraps of the budget," Rosales said.

DOTr extends deadline for renewal of permits, licenses, franchises to April 2020

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Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade has ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to extend the deadline for the renewal of permits, licenses, and franchises to April 2020.

“LTO and LTFRB will extend the deadline for renewal of permits, franchises, licenses until April 2020. We know and understand that our country is now in a difficult and trying situation. We have to step up and extend our help to the Filipino people the best way we can," Secretary Tugade expressed.

The move came after Secretary Tugade's dialogue with Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

In a message sent to the media today, 18 March 2020, Senator Sotto expressed his gratitude to Secretary Tugade, for agreeing to extend the renewal of licenses, franchises, and permits, until the end of April.

“Just talked to DOTr Secretary Tugade, he will issue extension of renewal of licenses for LTO and LTFRB till end of April. Thank you, Sec. Art!" Sen. Sotto shared.

Secretary Tugade has instructed LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante to reiterate and update the memorandum that the latter issued earlier this month directing LTO Regional Directors not to collect penalties for late registration of motor vehicles, and for the renewal of driver's licenses that will expire during the enhanced community quarantine period. The validity of all student permits will also be extended.

Meanwhile, based on the guidelines issued by the LTFRB, all PUVs with plate numbers ending in 3 and 4 will be allowed to confirm their units until 15 May 2020 with all penalties being waived.

In this regard, the insurance policy under the Personal Passenger Accident Insurance Program (PPAIP) will also be automatically extended until 15 May 2020 without any additional fees on the part of the operators.

Applications for Extension of Validity for Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) that will expire from 17 March 2020 to 15 April 2020 can be filed until 15 May 2020 also with waiver of penalties.

Provisional Authorities (PA) and Special Permits (SP) issued to TNVS, PUBs, TH, Taxi, and UV Express, with expiry dates covering the period of 17 March 2020 to 15 April 2020, will also be extended until 15 June 2020 with waiver of fees.

Meanwhile, the Compliance Orders, Resolutions, and Decisions which direct operators to comply within a certain period and that fall between 17 March 2020 until 15 April 2020, will be allowed to comply until 15 May 2020 with waiver of penalties, if there is any.

The guidelines will apply to the Central Office and the National Capital Region-Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office, and all Regional Franchising and Regulatory Offices in Luzon.

DOTr rolls out 74 units, increases new routes to 13 for the Free Ride Program for health workers affected by Enhanced Community Quarantine

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The Department of Transportation (DOTr) continues with the mission to ferry health personnel to their workplaces daily, as its free ride for health workers rolls out on its third day. The free ride is being done amid the implementation of an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The free bus service, which started Tuesday, 18 March 2020, is in line with the instruction of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to DOTr road sector agencies to help ferry health workers who are now at the frontline of the country’s fight against the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

From only three (3) routes during its initial deployment, the free bus service now serves health workers on thirteen (13) routes:

Northwest Area
Revised ROUTE 1

Meralco (Malanday)*
Valenzuela City General Hospital
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Caloocan City Medical Center
Tondo General Hospital
Our Lady of Fatima
Metropolitan Medical Center
San Lazaro Hospital
Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
University of Sto. Tomas Hospital
Chinese General Hospital
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Northwest Area
Revised ROUTE 2

Valenzuela Gateway Complex*
Quezon City General Hospital
Balintawak*
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Our Lady of Fatima University
Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Northeast Area
Revised ROUTE 3

SM City SJDM (Bulacan)
Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (Caloocan)
SM Fairview*
Diliman Doctors Hospital
Veterans Memorial Medical Center
Lung Center of the Philippines
Philippine Heart Center
East Avenue Medical Center
Philippine Children’s Hospital
Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon Ave.)*

*Pick-up/transfer points


East Area
ROUTE 4

SM City Masinag*
Marikina Valley Medical Center
Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal*
Quirino Memorial Medical Center
Araneta Center Bus Terminal
Robinsons Galleria*
The Medical City – Ortigas

*Pick-up/transfer points


East Area
ROUTE 5

Ortigas Hospital & Healthcare (Cainta)*
SM City East Ortigas
Pasig City General Hospital
The Medical City Ortigas
Robinsons Galleria*
VRP Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center*
Rizal Medical Center

*Pick-up/transfer points


Central Area
Revised ROUTE 6

Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon Ave.)*
Providence Hospital
Capitol Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center (Banawe)
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
National Children’s Hospital
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
UERM Memorial Medical Center
MRT-3 Cubao / Araneta Center*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Central/East Area
Revised ROUTE 7

Pasig City General Hospital
Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral*
Pasig Rotonda
Rizal Medical Center
The Medical City (Ortigas)
Robinsons Galleria*
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
VRP Medical Center
National Center for Mental Health
Makati Medical Center*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Southeast Area
Revised ROUTE 8

Starmall – Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
Makati Medical Center*
St. Luke’s Medical Center – BGC*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Southwest Area
ROUTE 9

Vista Mall, Daang Hari*
Perpetual Help Medical Center (Las Piñas)
Las Piñas General Hospital
Baclaran Market*
San Juan de Dios Educational Medical Center
Pasay City General Hospital
Adventist Medical Center
Makati Medical Center*
Philippine General Hospital
Manila Doctors Hospital
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Southeast Area
ROUTE 10
Feeder route

RITM*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa City Hospital
Starmall – Alabang*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Southeast Area
ROUTE 11

Starmall – Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
San Juan de Dios EFI – Hospital
Gil Puyat Station LRT-1*
Philippine General Hospital
Manila Doctors Hospital

*Pick-up/transfer points


Southeast Area
ROUTE 12

SM Molino
Imus Transport Plaza
Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center
Baclaran Market*
San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Hospital
Gil Puyat*
Adventist Medical Center Manila
Philippine General Hospital*
Manila Doctors Hospital*

*Pick-up/transfer points


South Area
ROUTE 13

Seaoil Imus Daang Hari/Aguinaldo
Imus Transport Terminal*
Las Piñas General Hospital
Perpetual Help Medical Center
RITM*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa Hospital
Starmall Alabang*

*Pick-up/transfer points


Buses will transport passengers to these designated routes, and vice versa at 5:00AM, 7:00AM, 1:00PM, 3:00PM, 5:00PM, and 7:00PM.

Seventy-two (72) buses and two (2) modern Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) have committed to transport health workers for free along the specified routes, which are still subject to change depending on the data and requests coming from the Department of Health (DOH).

Meanwhile, transport officials clarified that the free ride is not restricted to doctors and nurses only. This will also be made available to other hospital workers such as administration personnel, utility workers, security officers, and other health workers such as pharmacists, caregivers, and the like.

The bus service will likewise comply with DOH containment protocols such as the observance of social distancing, body temperature checks, and regular disinfecting of vehicles. Drivers and health workers will also be given food and water.

“Of all the distress this virus has caused, one of the good things it has brought forth is the indomitable bayanihan spirit of the Filipino people. Our frontline health workers have sacrificed so much, leaving the comfort of their homes to fulfill their sworn duty to save lives. And now, we have our drivers too to safely bring our warriors to the battlefield. Saludo ako sa inyong lahat!”, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade expressed.

The same bus service scheme is also being advised to be replicated for all regions in Luzon while the enhanced community quarantine is being enforced.

The free bus service is implemented in cooperation and close coordination with the Office of the President, Office of the Solicitor General, Supreme Court, House of Representative, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT), and private bus companies such as HM Transport, San Agustin, MetroExpress, RRCG, Precious Grace, Ceres, Jac Liner, St. Rose, Pamana, Jasper Jean, Pascual, Hi-Star, Ube Express, Hafti Transport, G-Liner, Thelman Transit, and automotive company Foton.