THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority yesterday said the transport strike led by the Malayang Alyansa ng Bus Employees at Laborers (Manibela) failed to paralyze or even make a dent in public transport in the metropolis.
The first day of the planned 3-day transport strike coincided with the second State of the Nation Address of President Marcos Jr., with authorities laying down heavy security in anticipation of any untoward incident.
Malacanang suspended classes in public schools at all levels and work in government offices in Metro Manila yesterday due to the inclement weather brought by typhoon “Egay” and the transport strike.
The MMDA deployed 1,354 personnel for traffic management, emergency response, crowd control and assistance for the SONA and to monitor the transport strike. The expanded number coding scheme was also suspended.
“As of 4 p.m., no dispatched rescue units from the MMDA Communications and Command Center. Normal situation on all major thoroughfares in the National Capital Region,” the MMDA Public Information Office said, citing updates from the agency’s command center in Pasig City which is monitoring the President’s SONA and the transport strike.
Early yesterday, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said the agency is prepared to deploy its vehicles to ferry stranded commuters.
“The rescue units of our monitoring team are ready. We will implement a single dispatching system in places where commuters may be stranded so that we will not compete with transport groups that did not take part in the three-day strike,” he said.
Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena previously said that around 200,000 jeepney drivers nationwide will take part in the strike, including 40,000 from Metro Manila, to protest the Dec. 31 deadline for the phaseout of public utility jeepneys.
The Armed Forces and the PNP also provided vehicles to commuters affected by the transport strike.
AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said the military made available 17 trucks, buses and coasters to assist the commuters yesterday and in the coming days.
Aguilar said the vehicles, from the major services of the Armed Forces and AFP Logistics Command, were placed under the operational control of the military’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR).
“This (deployment of the vehicles) is also part of the AFP’s efforts to help ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the President’s State of the Nation Address today,” said Aguilar.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the PNP also dispatched police vehicles to mitigate the effects of the transport strike but did not give figures.
“With regards to the transport strike, we adopted some measures, contingencies,” said Acorda. “We coordinated with the LGUs and other agencies. We provided buses and other transport vehicles to fill the vacuum (in vehicles) that was created (by the transport strike).” — With Victor Reyes
