A typical weekday morning for Manuel Baclagon involves a jeepney and tricycle ride to his work at the Department of Social Work and Development in Batasan Hills, Quezon City. His commute also involves sitting in traffic jams for an hour that has become routinary for him. But even his situation is considered better than most commuters.
The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of Metro Manila mayors, tried to solve this. On May 2, MMC announced that work hours in government offices will shift to 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. from the previous 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to help alleviate traffic congestion.
But for Baclagon, who also serves as national secretary general of the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees, the congestion they experience can be traced back to the lack of accessible public transportation in the metro.
With the traditional jeepney phaseout now in full swing, the burden of commuting is expected to worsen. Last Thursday, transport agencies have started declaring unconsolidated jeepneys colorum and barring them from plying routes as part of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program. With fewer jeepneys on the roads, Baclagon said workers’ commute will worsen.
“May mga opisina na nag-o-offer ng shuttle services pero limited lang yung seats,” said Baclagon. He added that despite this setup, they still need to commute to designated pickup points, which are usually stationed in congested areas like malls and bus stops.
On average, it takes about 30 minutes to traverse 10 kilometers in Metro Manila, according to the 2023 Tomtom traffic index. For government employees like Baclagon, who are now expected to come into office at 7 a.m., this means that they must wake up earlier to catch a ride. This situation forces some of his colleagues to take other measures just to clock in on time.
“Marami sa mga empleyado ng gobyerno, nag-a-avail ng car loan para maging komportable sa byahe kahit na maliit lang ang sweldo,” he said. “Kaya napapansin ko na yung mga take-home pay ay halos wala na kasi pambayad ng utang na lang yun.”
With the working hour shift, Kilusang Mayo Uno Secretary General Jerome Adonis also noted that non-regular workers face a more precarious situation as their employment is determined based on their performance, including attendance. This affects employees under job orders and contracts of service who do not have tenure security and social benefits received by regular employees.
“Kapag may record ka ng tardiness, subject ka for suspension or dismissal,” said Adonis. “Kaso, hindi naman nila (employers) tinatanggap na dahilan yung tindi ng traffic.”
Data from the Metro Manila Development Authority revealed that almost 500,000 out of 600,000 government employees nationwide commute to work daily. Of this, nearly one-fourth are working in the metro.
MMC’s pronouncement is supposed to spread rush hours in the morning, but working commuters will have to compete for rides with students whose classes also begin at around 7 a.m—the morning hour when traffic is already the heaviest, according to the 2020 Tomtom traffic index. For Baclagon, this shows that the policy failed in assessing other factors in the traffic problem.
“Nilipat mo lang sa ibang oras, so malilipat lang ang traffic. Doon pa lang makikita mo nang walang kwenta yung policy,” said Baclagon. “Halatang hindi pinag-aralan dahil hindi kumonsulta sa mga ahensya tulad ng Civil Service Commission o Department of Labor and Employment.”
For Baclagon, the solution to the traffic congestion is clear: Establish a more accessible public transport system. Both he and Adonis agree that there is no need for a shift in working hours, as it will only hurt employees, especially non-regular workers.
“Anumang patakaran o program ay dapat kino-konsulta ang mga apektado,” said Baclagon. “Dapat maging makamasa ang mga patakaran dahil serbisyo ang motibo dapat ng gobyerno.” ●
