Palace: Manila truck ban still under consultation

Malacañang on Friday assured concerned parties that an "intensive" consultation is being done in connection with the impending truck ban in the city of Manila.

"There is very intensive consultation para maging katanggap-tanggap iyong solusyon na... nai-implement hindi lamang sa City of Manila but in the entire Metro Manila," Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference.

He issued the statement after truckers threatened to go on strike on Monday, the start of the truck ban's implementation.

The truck ban was originally scheduled to start on February 10 but was postponed to February 24 to give the truckers more time to adjust.

Under the new city policy, trucks are banned from the streets of Manila from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays.

Truck groups, however, said factories are closed at the time when the ban allows them to travel.

Coloma admitted that the flow of trucks has an effect on the public so they have to study this carefully.

"May epekto yan sa mga pumapasok sa paaralan, pumapasok sa tanggapan at umuuwi din. Kaya iyon ang pinag-aaralan ngayon... ano ang pinakamagandang window within which to allow then to operate na hindi naman makakapinsala sa kabuhayan at sa negosyo," he said.

He also said the national government is coordinating with the Manila government and other local government units regarding the problem.

"Kaya nga nandoon si DILG Secretary Mar Roxas at si MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino dahil alam naman natin konektado lahat yan... kapag naglakbay sa Maynila, pupunta yan sa Pasay, Parañaque... sa Caloocan, Navotas, Quezon City, San Juan," Coloma said.

"Kabit-kabit lahat yan... movement nila kaya hindi pupwedeng aksyon lamang ng iisang local government. Kaya iyan ang kinoko-coordinate," he added. — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News