More health workers and other frontliners in Metro Manila will be able to avail of the government’s free rides to hospitals as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) expanded its free bus service to 14 routes during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine over Luzon.
The free bus service was launched by the DOTr last Tuesday in line with Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade’s directive to help ferry health workers who are at the frontlines of the country’s fight against the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
From only three routes during its initial deployment, the DOTr said the free bus service now serves health workers on the following 14 routes:
Northwest Area
Revised Route 1
Meralco (Malanday)*
Valenzuela City General Hospital
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Caloocan City Medical Center
Tondo General Hospital
Our Lady of Fatima
Metropolitan Medical Center
San Lazaro Hospital
Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
University of Sto. Tomas Hospital
Chinese General Hospital
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
Northwest Area
Revised Route 2
Valenzuela Gateway Complex*
Quezon City General Hospital
Balintawak*
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Our Lady of Fatima University
Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
Northeast Area
Revised Route 3
SM City SJDM (Bulacan)
Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (Caloocan)
SM Fairview*
Diliman Doctors Hospital
Veterans Memorial Medical Center
Lung Center of the Philippines
Philippine Heart Center
East Avenue Medical Center
Philippine Children’s Hospital
Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon 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 & 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
Revised Route 6
Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon Ave.)*
Providence Hospital
Capitol Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center (Banawe)
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
National Children’s Hospital
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
UERM Memorial Medical Center
MRT-3 Cubao / Araneta Center*
Central/East Area
Revised Route 7
Pasig City General Hospital
Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral*
Pasig Rotonda
Rizal Medical Center
The Medical City (Ortigas)
Robinsons Galleria*
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
VRP Medical Center
National Center for Mental Health
Makati Medical Center*
Southeast Area
Revised Route 8
Starmall – Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
Makati Medical Center*
St. Luke’s Medical Center – BGC*
Southwest Area
Route 9
Vista Mall, Daang Hari*
Perpetual Help Medical Center (Las Piñas)
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)*
Southeast Area
Route 10
Feeder route
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-RITM*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa City Hospital
Starmall – Alabang*
Southeast Area
Route 11
Starmall – Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
San Juan de Dios EFI – Hospital
Gil Puyat Station LRT-1*
Philippine General Hospital
Manila Doctors Hospital
Southeast Area
Route 12
SM Molino
Imus Transport Plaza
Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center
Baclaran Market*
San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Hospital
Gil Puyat*
Adventist Medical Center Manila
Philippine General Hospital*
Manila Doctors Hospital*
South Area
Route 13
Seaoil Imus Daang Hari/Aguinaldo
Imus Transport Terminal*
Las Piñas General Hospital
Perpetual Help Medical Center
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-RITM*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa Hospital
Starmall Alabang*
East Area
Route 14
SM City Taytay
SM City East Ortigas
The Medical City (Ortigas)
Robinsons Galleria* (East Area Routes 4, 5, and
Central/East Area Route 7 Transfer Point)
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
SM City Sta. Mesa
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
*Pick-up/Transfer point
The DOTr’s free rides, consisting of 72 buses and two modern public utility vehicles, will transport passengers to these designated routes and vice versa at 5 a.m., 7 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m.
The Department said these routes are still subject to change depending on the data and requests coming from the Department of Health (DoH).
Transport officials also clarified that the free ride service is not restricted to doctors and nurses only, but is also available for other hospital workers such as administrative personnel, utility workers, security officers, and other health workers such as pharmacists, caregivers, and the like.
Tugade gave the assurance that the bus service will comply with containment protocols laid out by health authorities, 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 DOTr chief also urged other regions in Luzon to adopt the same bus service scheme while the enhanced community quarantine is being enforced. (Alexandria San Juan)
