Challenge accepted: Tolentino rides bus to understand commuters

MANILA, Philippine – Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino gamely responded to a challenge to government officials to take public utility vehicles to make them  understand the plight of commuters better.

The chairman on Thursday rode a bus from EDSA-Ayala to Baclaran and headed to the newly opened Southwest Integrated Terminal – a project of his agency  that bars  buses from Cavite and Batangas to enter EDSA to reduce the number of plying buses in Metro Manila.

Tolentino said  he used to take public transportation going to his high school in Mandaluyong from J.P. Rizal in Makati.

“Okay naman po, ginagawa naman po natin dati 'yan,” Tolentino said in a television interview while inside the bus.

“Nakikita natin kung ano 'yung mga nararanasan ng mga pasahero,” he added.

Tolentino said the public  was correct to suggest that  public officials  should take public transportation once in a while.

“Tama 'yung suggestion na panaka-naka gamitin 'yung public transpo system,” Tolentino said, adding that the experience enabled him to see the changes  needed  to improve  public commute in Metro Manila.

“ (Dapat) malaman 'yung tunay na problema, ano ba 'yung root cause?” the MMDA chairman added.

On the other hand, Tolentino urged the public to give more suggestions to ease the heavy traffic in the Metro.

Last week, an online petition launched on the advocacy website Change.org by a certain Dinna Dayao from Manila, challenged President Benigno Aquino III to order all of the government officials to take the trains and buses.

Related story: Online petition: Noy should require officials take MRT, buses