More planning, patience needed to make GCQ work

ALTHOUGH everyone was hoping for the best, the first two days of general community quarantine (GCQ) were, to no one’s surprise, chaotic and difficult for many people. It was evident that no one concerned — the government, businesses or the general public — was quite prepared for the start of the “new normal,” and that a great deal of adjustment will have to be made before it can be considered safe and productive.

The most obvious problem, and the one that was most widely reported, was the severe lack of transportation available for commuters, many of whom were forced to wait for hours in some areas or resort to walking long distances to reach their places of employment. To be fair to the relevant authorities — the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Department of Transportation — information and updates about which forms of public transportation would be allowed to operate and in what manner were regularly provided to the public beginning early last week.