MANILA – Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade on Wednesday asked the three rail services to hire the employees of Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) who are about to be laid off after a drop in ridership due to the pandemic.
In a statement, Tugade instructed the Philippine National Railways (PNR), the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) — both government-run institutions — and the Light Rail Transit Authority, the operator and maintenance provider of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), to immediately absorb qualified personnel.
“We must look into the possibility of absorbing them as quickly as we can. Huwag natin silang pabayaan (Let’s not leave them behind). It’s the least and most humane thing we can do for them at this time,” Tugade said.
To ensure the health of its workers and prevent transmission of Covid-19, he asked the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) — the operator and maintenance provider of the LRT-1 — to subject all their personnel to testing for Covid-19.
“They should swab all their people. Cost is not the primary issue here. We can discuss who absorbs the cost at some later time. What matters most is the health and safety of commuters and their employees,” Tugade said.
He also tasked PNR General Manager Junn Magno and DOTr Assistant Secretary Fidel Cruz to review LRMC’s Covid-19 health and safety protocols.
Earlier, the LRMC announced that it would lay off over a hundred, or 20 percent of its workforce due to a 90 percent drop in ridership of the LRT-1 due to the coronavirus. It said the retrenchment will take effect on Saturday (August 15).