[Members of the InterAgency Council for Traffic check vaccination cards of commuters at the EDSA Carousel Busway Monumento Station in Quezon City as they continue to strictly implement the "no vaccination, no ride" policy of the Department of Transportation on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (Photo by Miguel de Guzman/ The Star)]

MANILA— Unvaccinated and partially vaccinated workers in industries allowed under Alert Level 3 can once again use public transportation for a 30-day period starting January 26, national government agencies said in a joint statement issued Wednesday, PhilStar reported. This decision came as the result of an inter-agency meeting between the Interior, Labor, and Transportation departments earlier this week, the joint statement said. 

At a press briefing Wednesday noon, Transportation Undersecretary Artemio Tuazon Jr said that the new rule covers workers from both the formal and informal economies. The same exemptions still stand for non-worker commuters leaving for medical purposes or to purchase essential goods. “We want our workers to get fully vaccinated, especially now that there is no longer a shortage of COVID-19 vaccines, and there is a threat of highly transmissible variants of the virus. We are giving our workers the time to get themselves vaccinated,” he said. Per the Department of Health, the recommended interval between vaccine doses typically takes up to three months. 

Groups earlier urged the national government to allow partially vaccinated individuals to use public transport, pointing to the problem of access to vaccination. DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya added that the highly-contested "no vaccine, no ride" order on public transportation will revert back to its full implementation after the period elapses.