Marvin’s plan vs single passenger policy: Dogs

Marvin’s suggested companions to break away from being a single driver — dogs (Photo: @marvinagustin/Instagram)

Filipinos are known for their resilience shining in the darkness of calamities, but several instances prove that their wit and the power of their funny bones make them come up with brilliant ideas amidst challenges and changes.

For renowned actor Marvin Agustin, today’s challenges to solve do not point to politics, nature, or even societal problems. But the thing to conquer this time is the regulation of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which bans driver-only vehicles in Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) during rush hours.

The High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) traffic scheme aims to address the heavy traffic issue of EDSA. However, this is a hot topic on social media among netizens, with some pointing out that this makes it hard for drivers who are single.

One of these single drivers includes Marvin who came up with a furry idea when he decided to call MMDA’s attention on Twitter on Wednesday, August 16.

“In compliance with @MMDA single passenger policy… pwede ba ‘yan (is this okay)?” he wrote, attaching a photo of seven golden retrievers riding inside a car, mouths opened – canine pearly whites showing.

His tweet, which as of writing has reached about 1800 likes and 360 retweets, and has earned about 8000 hearts on Instagram, also got a prompt reply from the MMDA.

“Hindi po (No) #MMDA,” the government agency replied, unfortunately throwing Marvin’s dog deal out of the window.

Not really disheartened by the response his attempt got, Marvin replied for his followers with, “Okay po… mga ‘SINGLE’ isip na ulit tayo ng ibang paraan… kailangan na natin maging double (Okay… For the single ones, let us think of a new way… we need to become double).”

While Marvin did not earn a nod from the MMDA, his tweet earned a laugh of approval from netizens who praised him for his wit and the dogs for their cuteness.

Though the tweet was meant to tickle, some netizens expressed serious concerns, asking the MMDA on the same Twitter thread if travelling with their dogs for veterinary check-ups or emergencies would count. As of writing, the Twitter handler has yet to reply to the queries.