Are you in favor to “No Vaccine No
Ride Policy”
Despite the aimed to protect people, no vaccine no ride policy had
an huge discriminations nor violations/disadvantages to every Filipino people,
especially to those who are in alert level 3 places: NCR, Bicol and other
provinces.
Interrupt in public transportation.
Based on the source of GMA news update, the totality of affected
Filipinos is reaching from 10,000 to 30,000 individuals located in alert level 3
places. Aside from passengers, drivers and transportation groups find these
regulations as hard as it is. Wherein almost of drivers complained that this
policy gave them much responsibilities thus less passengers to have. Since
they we’re ordered to check every passenger’s they have, thus mostly of the
passengers aren’t vaccinated yet. Same as the complainant name Gemma
Parina a street vendor in Paco Public Market - Angel Linao St. corner Pedro
Gil St., Paco, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines, express the tiredness of
having a walk from their house until to the market of Paco since this lady was
unvaccinated, making a difficult situation just to sell goods to support their
everyday needs.
As stated by Mody FLoranda, a president of Piston transport group,
they are not fully aware of this regulation, since DOTR didn’t give them a
permission’s before implementing this policy. Reason why some of their
drivers aren’t aware of this regulation. Moreover, according to Commission on
Human Rights (HMR) even though this policy aimed to protect people, for
somehow you cannot deny that this policy was obviously violated the rights of
every people, since many are in using public transportation to access basic
needs and essential goods.
Position Paper: Are you in favor to “No Vaccine No Ride Policy” | 4
Penalty violation to every violator
Based on the source of DOTR, penalty of operators that violate this
regulation were based on attempts. First attempt is PHP 5,000, second
attempt PHP 10,000, third attempt PHP 15,000, fourth attempt suspension,
and fifth nor last attempt will be the removal of franchises. Aside from the
operators, drivers also have suspension and worst penalty of PHP 5,000 and
above if they were violated this regulation, including the passengers might get
penalty as well ranging from PHP 5,000 up, to their municipality LGU’s.
Moreover, according to highway patrol assigned task force, violators of the
first week are exempted for the filing of case, however LTFRB says even
though filing a case aren’t available this day’s, penalty must be present
instead, where it’s depend to the violations that has been made.
In relation for that, Hon. Mody Floranda a president of Piston
transport group says “this policy is obviously violated the law of human rights,
since according to him having vaccine is voluntary to have, it is not made by
forced thus made through treating harassments towards drivers and
passengers”.
In addition, he also said that in this time where almost of
sectors are down, we don’t need this kind of regulation, instead implement the
regulation that have bright objectives towards every Filipinos as of today.
Policy’s probable effects
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) says that this
policy had direct effects to all workers, whether you’re vaccinated or
unvaccinated. Since the production of one company or those businesses
might lose because of the lack of man-work. Indeed, as Alan Tantusay of
TUCP said “this policy is just a destruction to all of the workers, since having
this regulation might reduce the number of public transportations within that
places like Jeepneys bus and other. Second there are drivers that aren’t
completed their second dose yet, where supposedly the public transportation
is not also enough, that’s why some of the companies were forced to recruit
additional operation which unintended at the moment.
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Including from this are the mental nor physiological impact of every
people experienced the consequences of the said policy. Based on the report
of GMA news cast last January 17, 2022, there are lot of people experienced
huge self-anxious regarding to this policy. Where some of them express their
side by crying and pleading to all authorities for the exemptions they want.
However, like of other people, Dianna Lyn Conde, a call center agent
expressed the discriminations of some evaluators upon on her. Dianna
banned in using public transportation since according to the evaluators
Dianna is only a partial vaccinated person, even though this lady had a proof
of Employment ID to show that she is a worker thus have an essential reason
to go out. Unfortunately, this lady didn’t able to have a ride as that day. Which
according to DOTR and LTFRB showing employment ID is one of the
exemptions of partially nor unvaccinated person including the authorize pass
issued by every barangay’s officials.
CONCLUSION
This meant that this policy must to expel accordingly, since it doesn’t
bring fairness to every people especially to all partially nor unvaccinated
people. Being unvaccinated doesn’t mean they’re different from other. Since
the chances of getting the virus is just the same. No matter what, you are
vaccinated or unvaccinated. Cause vaccines are only there to lessen the bad
effects of the virus within one body, not to prevent the virus itself. According to
Department of Health (DOH), vaccines are there for just to act as like a virus
to trigger the body’s immune system and produce antibodies for the response,
not to lessen every probability of infections. Where almost of people
misunderstand this information including the high officials like DOTR.
According to them these regulations are supposedly there to give a low risks
transmission of the virus, which is not true. Again, vaccines are not cured
medicines like different tablets or any drugs out there. Vaccines are there only
to help every people on the risk of having severe conditions when they get
COVID-19 virus in expected mutations. So why this regulation is being
Position Paper: Are you in favor to “No Vaccine No Ride Policy” | 6
implemented even though it is not important? According to some officials like
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), this regulation is only
there to collect money from every violator illegally. Cause they don’t see any
important thus right intensions of this policy.
However, this policy is effective only in alert level 3 areas, where some
places in the Philippines doesn’t experienced yet this unprofessional policy.
Where most of people want badly including different groups of organizations
to discredit this regulation as far as possible, since they believe it doesn’t
show any help that DOTR AND LTFRB want to show to every Filipino’s as of
today.
RECOMMENDATION
This policy is not intended to care people regarding today’s situation.
Indeed, it utilizes high power of officials to control all Filipino’s individuality.
Thus, if the government will implement this kind of policy they must
considered first these regulations indeed.

DOTR must discredit penalties, since according to them this policy is
there to care people, instead of letting them being positive.

DORT and other officials must fully understand there policy first, before
implementing those nonsense regulations, to avoid unnecessary
reactions nor feedbacks of every people around the Philippines, if they
want to succeed upon their rules.

DOTR must provide another transport group to allowed partially nor
unvaccinated person to ride separately for those fully vaccinated
persons, if they want to pursue this regulation as much as far as they
want.

President should look on this regulation. He and other officials can do
something to stop and discredit this regulation if they wanted to or not
instead.
Position Paper: Are you in favor to “No Vaccine No Ride Policy” | 7
REFERENCES
GMA News YouTube channel, reported by Nelson Canals (Jan.
29, 2022)
GMA news daily updates reports in YouTube/website, reported
by Mel Tiangc(Feb. 04, 2022)
GMA news SAKSI reports in YouTube/website, reported by Mike
Enrique’z(Feb. 10,2022)
DOH official website written by: USEC. Maria Rosario Vergeire
(Jan. 19,2020)
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