Additional buses have been deployed by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday as it continues to roll out its free bus service to ferry more frontline health workers amid the enhanced community quarantine placed in the Luzon island.
This is in line with the measures being taken by the DOTr to assure swift and unhampered mobility for frontline hospital personnel as the country continues to combat the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
From only three routes during the initial deployment on Wednesday, the DOTr said that bus service will now serve health workers on these nine routes beginning Thursday:
North West Area
Route 1
- Malanday*
- Valenzuela City General Hospital
- Monumento / MCU*
- Tondo General Hospital
- Metropolitan Medical Center
- San Lazaro Hospital
- Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
- University of Santo Tomas Hospital
- Chinese General Hospital
- United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
North West Area
Route 2
- Valenzuela Gateway Complex*
- Quezon City General Hospital
- Balintawak*
- Philippine Orthopedic
- United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
North East Area
Route 3
- Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (Caloocan)
- SM Fairview*
- Diliman Doctors Hospital
- Veterans Memorial Medical Center
- Lung Center of the Philippines
- National Kidney and Transplant Institute
- Philippine Heart Center
- East Avenue Medical Center
- Philippine Children’s Hospital
- Centris Station (EDSA/Q.Ave)*
East Area
Route 4
- SM City Masinag*
- Marikina Valley Medical Center
- Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
- BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal*
- Quirino Memorial Medical Center
- Araneta Center Bus Terminal
- Robinsons Galleria*
- The Medical City – Ortigas
East Area
Route 5
- Ortigas Hospital and Healthcare (Cainta)*
- SM City East Ortigas
- Pasig City General Hospital
- The Medical City Ortigas
- Robinsons Galleria*
- VRP Medical Center
- St. Luke’s Medical Center*
- Rizal Medical Center
Central Area
Route 6
- Centris Station (EDSA/Q.Ave)*
- Providence Hospital
- Capitol Medical Center
- United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
- UERM Memorial Medical Center
- National Children’s Hospital
- De Los Santos Medical Center
- St. Luke’s Medical Center – E. Rodriguez
- MRT-3 Cubao Station*
Central Area
Route 7
- The Medical City – Ortigas*
- Robinsons Galleria*
- Cardinal Santos Medical Center
- Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
- Santa Ana Hospital
- Makati Medical Center*
South East Area
Route 8
- RITM*
- Asian Hospital and Medical Center
- Muntinlupa City Hospital
- South Station
- SLEX Sucat Exit*
- Bicutan Exit
- Makati Medical Center*
- St. Luke’s Medical Center – BGC*
South West Area
Route 9
- Vista Mall, Daang Hari*
- Perpetual Help Medical Center (Las Pinas)
- Las Piñas General Hospital
- Baclaran Market*
- San Juan de Dios Educational Medical Center
- Pasay City General Hospital
- Adventist Medical Center
- Makati Medical Center*
- Philippine General Hospital
- Manila Doctors Hospital
- United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
(*Pick-up/transfer points)
The routes, the DOTr said, are still subject to change depending on the data and requests coming from the Department of Health (DoH).
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said more than 70 buses committed to ferry health workers, as well as other hospital personnel for free along the specified routes. Buses will transport passengers at 5 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m., to these routes, and vice versa.
Tugade also assured that the bus service will comply with the containment protocols of the DOH including the observance of social distancing, body temperature checks, and regular disinfecting of vehicles, while drivers and health workers will be given food and water.
The Transportation chief advised all regions in Luzon to replicate the same bus service scheme for their respective frontliners while the enhanced community quarantine is ongoing.
President Duterte placed Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine amid the rising number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.
Following this order, all kinds of mass public transportation have been suspended as strict home quarantine in all households is being enforced. (Alexandria San Juan)
