DOTr orders top officials to ride public transport weekly  

MANILA, Philippines — Senior officials of the Department of Transportation have been ordered to take public transportation at least once a week, in what its current acting secretary says should make them understand firsthand the daily struggles of the commuting public.

In a memorandum dated September 15, DOTR Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez directed undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directors, and agency heads under the road and rail sectors to use jeepneys, buses, or trains once a week when traveling from their homes to their offices. 

The directive takes effect on September 17 and will remain in force "until further notice."

The order covers top officials of the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Light Rail Transit Authority, the Philippine National Railways, and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, as well as DOTr undersecretaries handling road and rail. 

“Our officials in the Road and Rail sectors are really the ones who should be going out regularly since most of our projects are in these areas,” Lopez said in Filipino in a statement. He added that officials from other sectors are also encouraged to commute “so they can see and feel firsthand the hardships that commuters experience.”

Reports required

All covered officials must submit weekly accomplishment reports with observations, recommendations, and proof of compliance, such as photos or tickets. The reports will be consolidated and discussed during DOTr executive committee meetings, according to the memorandum.

The department said the directive is meant to “ensure the effective implementation of transportation projects and programs by allowing DOTr officials to have first-hand experience in the operations of various modes of public transportation.”

Lopez himself took public transport during the Monday morning rush hour on September 15, according to the DOTR.