Manila City Hall employee Ronaldo Rosales offered Panelo a ride on his motorcycle and the two reached the gate of Malacañang at 8:46 a.m. #commutechallenge

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo took more than three hours to commute by jeepney, and motorcycle, to Malacañang on Friday morning.

Taking up the challenge from Bayan Muna Secretary General Renato Reyes to commute to work to know the daily experience of ordinary commuters in Metro Manila, Panelo left the house of his son in New Manila, Quezon City at 5:15 a.m. and walked to the corner of Balete Drive and Gilmore Avenue to take a jeepney ride home.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo (center) waiting for a Cubao-bound jeepney in Marikina City on Friday. (melvindefenThor)

From that spot, at around 5:30 a.m., he rode a jeepney going to Cubao, Quezon City and from there took a jeepney bound for Concepcion, Marikina City. Panelo started his commute challenge there as he lives in nearby SSS Village.

After waiting for a few minutes along Bayan-Bayanan Avenue, Panelo hailed a Cubao-bound jeepney arriving there at past 7 a.m.

In Cubao, Panelo was supposed to take the LRT-2 train but to avoid reporters waiting there, he decided to take a jeepney going to Manila.

Panelo got off in Legarda Street and Mendiola Street at about 8:38 a.m.

Manila City Hall employee Ronaldo Rosales offered Panelo a ride on his motorcycle and the two reached the gate of Malacañang at 8:46 a.m.

Panelo (right) backrides from Manila City Hall employee Ronaldo Rosales in going to Malacañang. (Yummie Dingding)

Meanwhile, House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said Friday the purpose of the challenge is to show Panelo and the government, and for the presidential spokesman to at least experience the hardships that the commuters endure for hours of waiting just to get a public transport, plus the heavy traffic to get to school and their workplaces everyday.

“This worsening problem demands that the government must act immediately to address it by improving our public mass transportation system,” said Zarate.

He added, “Inabot siya (Panelo) ng halos 4 na oras, 4 na sakay ng jeep at isang sakay sa motor para bagtasin ang 23-25 kilometro na kayang magawa sana ng isang oras lamang. Hindi ba kasayangan ng oras ‘yun at problema ng mga pasahero? Kung walang krisis sa transportasyon malapit na dapat siya sa Baguio sa ganung katagal na byahe. Araw-araw itong ginagawa ng mga karaniwang tao at napakaraming oras at pagod nila ang nasasayang. Huwag sana itong maliitin ni Sec. Panelo at tumulong na agad na magawan ng paraan para mapagaan ang problema ng mga commuters. Pero hindi rin ito dahilan para ipilit nila ang emergency powers na mukhang pagkakakitaan lang ng mga nasa poder pero di naman lulutas sa problema sa transportasyon.”

Reacting to the commute challenge of Panelo, the Kabataan Partylist said, “Woes in public transit and traffic congestion have already taken a very serious toll on productivity as well as commuters’ well-being and dignity. We refuse to bear the brunt of negligence, disconnect, and corruption in the transport system. It’s time for Malacañang to take a U-turn from burdensome policies in transportation, and charge full speed ahead to an efficient and accessible public transport system.” With Keith Calayag