MANILA, Philippines — As part of a "right-sizing program," the Light Rail Manila Corporation, the private contractor operating and maintaining the Light Rail Transit-Line 1 in Manila, will be laying off some 100 of its employees by mid-September, the company announced.
The decision, the company said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, was made "through multiple levels of approvals...in close consultation with LRMC's employee union" and “due to a significant 90 percent drop in ridership brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Related Stories
Mass transportation, which includes all rail lines in Metro Manila, were suspended once more with the reimposition of modified enhanced community quarantine. The LRT-1 had earlier been running on limited capacity to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.
"LRMC management has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic situation from the start and has been taking appropriate measures, balancing its financial position while looking after its team members," the company's statement sent to reporters read.
"However as LRMC has scaled down operations during the quarantine period and deferred some projects, the company recognizes the need to optimize human resources by reducing the size of its workforce. This will aim to right-size the organization to better suit the current and future business conditions, as well as maintain stability while navigating through the uncertainty of this global crisis," it added.
The company's management also said that it "faithfully complies with all Department of Labor and Employment guidelines" and would "assist affected members on livelihood and investing wisely" by offering webinars and online consultations on managing mental health, among others.
The lack of public transportation options for commuters still going to work remains to be a problem especially in the National Capital Region, where frontliners still have to go to work despite suspended transport.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier defended the limited transportation options before a House panel on Wednesday, saying it is what the government's coronavirus task force ordered to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
— Franco Luna