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Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers will be given only 30 days to continue riding public transportation and public utility vehicles in the National Capital Region
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Workers who will remain unvaccinated won’t be barred from their workplaces but won’t be allowed to use public transportation
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They can use active transport, private vehicles, or company shuttle services
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated workers will only have a 30-day window to continue riding public transportation in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers in industries and establishments allowed to operate in the NCR while the metro is under Alert Level 3 will be given only 30 days from January 26, 2022 to continue riding public transportation and public utility vehicles (PUVs) to enter, exit, and go around the metropolis, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The decision was arrived at in an interagency meeting on January 21 among Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade after looking into the country’s vaccination data.
The decision intends to protect unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers who use public transportation from contracting COVID-19 and later developing severe infections, DOTr Undersecretary for Administrative Service Artemio Tuazon, Jr. said in a statement.
“This is to ensure that only those fully protected against COVID-19 are safe from using public transport. Data show that workers who remain unvaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 are more vulnerable to severe and critical infections,” Tuazon, who is also an official representative to the IATF, explained.
Tuazon said that 30 days following the announcement of the new protocol, only workers in NCR who are fully vaccinated (completed the two-dose primary series vaccination such as for the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, or Moderna brands; or the one-dose vaccination such as for the Janssen brand) will be allowed to use public transportation.
Within the 30-day window, partially vaccinated workers are still allowed to board public transportation. However, they will also not be allowed to use public transportation if vaccination remains incomplete after the 30-day window.
Tuazon added that the joint decision of DOLE, DILG, and DOTr supports the government’s ongoing thrust to ramp up vaccination efforts, especially amid the high transmission of the Omicron variant.
“This joint decision is also meant to support the vaccination drive of the entire government. We want our workers to get fully vaccinated especially now that there is no longer a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, and there is a threat of highly transmissible variants of the virus. We are giving our workers the time to get themselves vaccinated,” Tuazon added.
The DOTr official, however, clarified that the joint decision is not discriminatory.
“As jointly decided by the DOLE, DILG and DOTr, workers who will remain unvaccinated 30 days after the announcement are not being barred from their workplaces. They are simply not allowed to use public transportation, but can still use other means such as active transport, private vehicles, or company shuttle services,” Tuazon said.
DOTr started implementation of the controversial “No Vaccination, No Ride” policy on January 17. Under DOTr Department Order (DO) No. 2022-001, public transportation access is limited to vaccinated individuals when NCR is under Alert Level 3 status or higher.
The policy applies to all domestic travel to, from, and within NCR via public transportation by land, air, and sea while the area is placed under Alert Level 3 status or higher.
Exempted from the policy are the following:
- Persons with medical conditions as evidenced by a duly signed medical certificate with name and contact details of the physician; and
- Persons who will procure essential goods and services, such as, but not limited to food, water, medical devices, public utilities, energy, work and medical and dental necessities as evidenced by a duly issued barangay health pass and other appropriate proof to support and justify such travel
DOTr in a separate statement clarified that individuals who have received only the first dose but are out to do essential activities such as go to work, have a medical examination, apply for license or passport, or buy food and other necessary goods are exempted from the policy.
DOTr and DOLE also clarified that employees of industries allowed to operate under Alert Level 3 can still board public transport, even if unvaccinated, provided the person can present proof that he/she is going to work, such as a company ID or a Certificate of Employment.
