MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Make sure to wear your face shields when taking public transportation.
Victor Emmanuel Caindec said that the Central Visayas offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) will deploy personnel in “strategic areas” in the region starting this Saturday, August 15, to ensure compliance with the “No Face Shield, No Ride Policy” during the first day of its implementation.
“We will deploy our personnel to check whether the drivers and conductors themselves are following our mandate. We expect that the drivers, conductors will not allow passengers to ride unless they have their face shields on,” said Caindec, the LTO-7 director.
READ: LTFRB amends memo to prohibit use of eye protectors in lieu of face shields
“Face shields should cover your eyes, nose, and your mouth. For drivers and conductors, individuals wearing only eye shields should not be allowed to ride any public transport,” he added.
Caindec said that those who do not comply with the face shield requirement will not be allowed to board any public transportation.
READ: DOTr requires wearing of face shields in all PUVs starting Aug. 15
On August 3, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued Memorandum Circular 2020-014 to require all public transport passengers to wear face shields on top of their face masks to provide an additional and essential layer of protection for the riding public and prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019.
“A face shield and mask inside a mode of public transport, is better than being in the hospital. Mas mahal ang ibutang nga respirator sa imung nawong simbako ma-Covid sila (It is more expensive to be wearing a respirator in the event that you get COVID-19.),” Caindec said.
In an advisory, LTO-7 said that Caindec met with his operations team on Friday, August 14, to prepare for the implementation of DOTr’s “No Face Shield, No Ride Policy.”
Caindec is also set to meet with Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central (PRO-7), to discuss means on how policemen could help in its implementation.
“We have a meeting with PNP RD Ferro next week. We will tap the PNP to help with the implementation thru our LTO-Deputized PNP personnel,” he added.