NEWS RELEASE
Mr. Dom Hernandez
Secretary General
PASADA CC Inc.

Mr. Ric Rivera
Managing Director
PASADA
09175395320

Commuter group hails Robredo for concrete transport plans “Says next president should listen to commuters and transport workers.”

Among the presidential bets, only Vice President Leni Robredo has a concrete program to alleviate the current sorry state of the transport industry in the country. Robredo is listening to us, commuters and transport workers, the most affected sectors right now due to COVID-19 restrictions and rising oil prices, says Dom Hernandez, Secretary-General of the Pilipino Society And Development Advocates (PASADA) Commuter-Consumer Incorporated, after the sponsored presidential debate by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) last Saturday.

“At last, after several administrations, we find a true transport advocate in the person of Vice president Leni Robredo. Her desire to implement an economic stimulus package for transport workers; her plan to slowly implement the modernization of the industry while allowing the public transport sector to recover and grow by balancing the flow of local and foreign investment made her a truly remarkable person fit for the presidency,” says Hernandez.

PASADA, a non-governmental organization of commuters and transport workers, supports Robredo’s plan to build commuter-friendly transport infrastructure that Hernandez says would help smoothen the flow of mobility of people, goods, and services. Developing more commuter-friendly airports, railways, seaports, roads, bridges, and terminals would encourage more people to travel more for business and leisure, contributing to the slow recovery of the national and local economies hit hard by government restrictions worsening energy costs.

“Robredo recognizes the importance of building transport infrastructure that ensures mobility attains its peak and effectiveness. We must rally behind Robredo’s vision as this is the only Action Plan that may lead to the recovery of the transport sector, long aspired and never heard by this administration,” Hernandez adds.

Hernandez also encourages other presidential bets to rally behind the cause and welfare, particularly of commuters and transport workers, who are now the most depressed socio-economic sector in the country.

“The first victims of these oil price hikes are commuters and transport workers. Due to high diesel prices, most public utility vehicle workers are unable to work because they only earn 200 pesos per day, even on a 12-hour shift. Commuters and consumers suffer from high prices of basic goods after freight costs spiraled. We must unite and create solutions. Otherwise, there may be a tipping point in this, unexpected and unfortunate.

” Pasada partylist is also sponsoring a summit this March 25 to consolidate all transport and commuter groups. The one-day conference aims to develop a multi-sectoral Action Plan for the transport sector to be presented to the next administration. More than twenty organizations are attending this conference.