MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inspected major public transport facilities in Metro Manila on Wednesday to ensure the continued and safe movement of passengers amid heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat.’
The composite DOTr team inspected the Metro Railway Transit-3, EDSA Busway, Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 following several days of heavy rainfall, DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.
He ordered the concerned transport officials to ensure that train, bus, port and airport services remain operational and that passengers can travel safely despite bad weather.
“The order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is to ensure that public transportation services are properly maintained for our commuters and passengers and that their trips remain convenient, whether it rains or the sun is shining,” Lopez said.
The inspection team was led by DOTr Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Teodorico Delfin and included Assistant Secretary for Road Transport and Non-Infrastructure Dioscoro Reyes, Assistant Secretary for Maritime Villamor Plan, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Raul del Rosario.
At the MRT-3, the officials inspected the Quezon Avenue and Araneta-Cubao stations, including ticketing areas, escalators, elevators and the CCTV room. Train operations remained normal, with passengers able to continue their trips.
The DOTr also reported no property losses or structural damage due to habagat to several major rail projects, including MRT-7, the North-South Commuter Railway, the Metro Manila Subway Project and the Common Station.
At the EDSA Busway, officials found the facilities at the SM Megamall station in good condition, with no reported damage to its escalators or elevators.
The team also inspected PITX, where bus operations continued despite intermittent heavy rains. Only a small number of trips were delayed on Monday as operators acted quickly to address disruptions, according to the DOTr.
At NAIA Terminal 3, officials checked airport operations and possible flight disruptions caused by the heavy rains.
“So far, no damage has been reported. We saw that the situation at the MRT-3, EDSA Busway, PITX and NAIA remained orderly after the heavy rains,” Delfin said.
“Commuters have a different experience when we look at the situation personally. That is why we went to these public transportation facilities ourselves to ensure that the trips of our people are truly safe, especially amid bad weather,” he added.
Delfin said the DOTr also continued to provide free rides to commuters and assistance to stranded passengers, including shelter, food, water and charging areas.
He said the department would continue coordinating with transport concessionaires, local government units and other agencies to strengthen its response during severe weather.
“As Secretary Lopez said, we must act quickly to ensure that our transport facilities are prepared despite flooding and heavy rains,” Delfin said.
Meanwhile, CAAP reported five canceled Cebu Pacific flights on Wednesday, August 19.
The agency said it was continuing to monitor weather conditions and airport operations to ensure passenger safety and minimize disruptions to flights.
