President Rodrigo R. Duterte, through Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, announced this morning that the one-meter physical distancing rule will still be enforced in public transportation services.
According to Secretary Roque, the one-meter rule will be accompanied by the mandatory wearing of face masks, face shields, and the implementation of no talking and no eating guidelines for the riding public.
This decision comes after days of debate within the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disesases (IATF-EID) about the reduction of physical distancing in buses, trains, and other public transportation to accommodate more passengers as a measure to help restart the economy.
The Department of Transportation, one of the main proponents of the reduced distancing scheme, issued a statement that it will comply with the President’s directive. “The President has spoken. We shall aggressively comply and strictly enforce the 1-meter physical distancing in all public transport as envisioned and mandated.”
