No vax, no ride policy: Maybe it’s time for gov’t to say sorry—Bello

SPOT CHECK Enforcers of the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic monitor passengers of public utility vehicles for compliance with health protocols on Wednesday. Expect stricter checks in Metro Manila starting Jan. 17, when passengers must present vaccination cards to enter or move around Metro Manila using mass transport systems. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said Wednesday he sees a reason for the government to apologize for failing to inform the public about the “no vaccination, no ride” policy that, as it turns out, exempts workers.

“I think there is [a] reason for us to apologize to the public for that kasi as I was telling Secretary Karlo [Nograles] na kailangan pa ng massive information drive about this policy,” Bello said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

(I think there is a reason for us to apologize to the public for that. As I told Secretary Karlo, we still need a massive information drive about this policy.)

“Nakita ko kahapon ‘yung babae, umiiyak, hindi siya pinasakay dahil iisang dosage lang, very clear. ‘Yung mga implementers natin they have enthusiasm siguro to protect the public, eh nakalimutan nila na exempted ang mga workers,” he added.

(I saw the woman yesterday crying because she was not allowed to ride public transport since she only received one vaccine dose. Our implementers must have been so enthusiastic in protecting the public that they forgot that workers are exempted.)

The “no vaccination, no ride” policy in Metro Manila officially kicked off on Monday as part of an effort to restrict the movement of unvaccinated people in the metropolis. The Department of Transportation requires that only fully vaccinated individuals and presenting a valid ID card or government-issued identification card may ride public transportation.

READ: ‘No vax, no ride’ policy starts in Metro Manila’s public transport

Exemptions apply to passengers with medical conditions that prevent immunizations, travelers delivering essential goods and services, and passengers traveling to inoculation sites to receive a vaccine.

Following public outcry over the new guidelines, Bello clarified on Tuesday that workers with proper identification will also be exempted from the policy. He added that unvaccinated workers would simply need to show their identification cards to take public transportation.

READ: Workers are exempted from ‘no vax, no ride’ policy – DOLE chief