‘Malasakit’ extends to transport woes

Senatorial candidate Bong Go unveils the marker of the Malasakit Center at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City on 8 January 2019. (FILE PHOTO)

It is not only in health concerns that Malasakit centers are aimed at.

As more and more Filipinos take to the land, sea and sky for various ends, traveling may at times seem tortuous, the sight and feel of crowds in terminals oppressive and confusing, and passengers are left to go through procedures anxious and harried.

It is this oft-seen scenario that the Department of Transportation (DoTr), through its attached agencies, wishes to address as it establishes DoTr Malasakit Help Desks (MHD) in major transportation hubs throughout the country.

A response to the continuing challenge of President Duterte to government agencies “to make the Filipino life comfortable,” the MHD is a one-stop shop for passenger assistance in airports, seaports, train stations and land terminals. It serves as a convenient and accessible nexus for various government services in public transport.

As an integrated assistance center, the DoTr Malasakit Help Desk can receive or handle airport/seaport/terminal-related inquiries and complaints, provide road-related assistance like booking TNVS and taxi rides, facilitate the refund of terminal fees, provide attestation of cause of trip cancellation or delays, deliver emergency medical assistance, accept reports of possible security threats, and extend other forms of assistance to passengers or commuters.