‘Land transport sector losing ₧21B monthly on lockdown restrictions’

THE head of the House Committee on Economic Affairs said on Wednesday the land transportation sector loses P21.3 billion monthly due to disrupted operations during the Covid-19 quarantine period.

In a hearing on the “Economic Aspect of Public Transport Issues,” AAMBIS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin, the panel chairman, said land transportation sector was one of the hardest hit in the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In terms of public transportation, the estimated loss on a monthly basis is P21.3 billion. That’s high impact, that’s just land transportation. This is something that while our operators, our drivers are suffering losses, at the same time, it trickles down to losses of workers because they cannot go to work, and if the workers cannot go to work, the businesses cannot operate. So P21 billion is a very conservative estimate if we look at that,” Garin said.

One of the basic problems, Garin said, is that even if the government lifted this lockdown, the people are still afraid to go out because there is no sense of security outside their homes.

“Also even if you open up 100 percent the manufacturing, restaurants or other businesses, if jeepneys are not allowed to operate then many of the workers in NCR will still not be able to go to work,” she pointed out.

“Transportation is integrated and interconnected with all the businesses that we have. If there is no transportation our [produce] will not go to the market and will not go to the people. We have to take note of these [problems],” she added.

Airlines reeling

BESIDES land public transportation, Garin said the pandemic is also hurting the airline industry with a recorded 1,354-percent loss already.

“In terms of flights, departing in 2019, there were 61,000 at 2020, we’re halfway. Arriving international flights at 61,000 and then we’re at 12,000 right now, so the operations are very limited,” she said.

“What’s the effect? Originally, PAL, Cebu Pacific, Airasia, had a total of about a 13,000 work force, now they’re down to about 2,500,” Garin added.

Meanwhile, Garin called on the transportation industry to work together: “if your industry does not operate and if not fully opperational, the whole country’s economy will suffer. For whatever your agency needs, we will be willing to help as long as it will help all the stakeholders in this industry.”

Under the House-approved HB 6815 or the proposed P1.3-trillion Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy (ARISE), Garin—along with Albay Rep. Joey Salceda and Marikina Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo—is pushing for a P70-billion subsidy for the DOTR as assistance to the transportation industry.

For his part, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told lawmakers DOTR adopted a partial, gradual, calculated, and phased approach in providing mobility to commuters to secure their safety amid this health emergency.

According to Tugade, there are phases being implemented for allowing the operation of the different modes of public transportation.