Starting this week, officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) are required to commute to work at least once a week, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to address the challenges faced by commuters and improve public transportation.

In a memorandum issued on Thursday, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered officials from the road and rail sectors to use public transport regularly to gain first-hand experience of the commuting situation.

“These officials in the Road and Rail sector should be out more often since most of our projects fall under these areas,” Lopez said. He added that officials from other sectors are also encouraged to commute in order to better understand the difficulties encountered by the riding public.

Officials are likewise required to submit reports after their commute, detailing observations and recommendations to help improve the system and create concrete action plans.

Earlier this week, Lopez himself commuted to his office during the Monday morning rush hour, engaging with passengers and personally witnessing the daily struggles of Filipino commuters.