Free Bus Rides Are Available For ALL Health Workers Nationwide
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we haven’t failed to notice our nation’s (and the world’s) heroes: every single person who has worked to help alleviate the current situation. This includes, but certainly isn’t limited to, all medical and healthcare workers and hospital personnel. They have risen to the occasion just as we needed them to — even in the face of countless obstacles.
When the PH government announced the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, this included all forms of transportation. Employees of hospitals and healthcare centres were forced to walk to and from work, regardless of distance.
FREE bus rides available for all hospital and health centre workers
Thankfully, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) started deploying free bus rides for all medical and healthcare workers around Metro Manila. Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Valenzuela Gateway Complex, LTO Central Office (East Ave.), and Starmall Alabang are currently functioning as staging areas for these free services.
UPDATE: As of 6 Apr 2020, DOTr’s free bus rides for frontline health workers are now available nationwide. Not only operating in NCR, this service currently runs in Regions 2, 3, 4-A, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Not limited to doctors and nurses, these free bus rides are available for all employees of hospitals and healthcare centres. Included are pharmacists, caregivers, security officers, utility personnel, administrative workers, and the like.
The buses will be taking necessary health and safety measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; social distancing, body temperature checks, and regular sanitation services will take place daily. Bus drivers and health workers will also be given food and water.
Routes, pick-up and transfer points for free bus rides
As of 21 Mar 2020, a total of 14 routes, 74 buses, and two modern public utility vehicles (PUVs) have been made available to provide our local health workers with free bus rides around Metro Manila.
These buses will transport passengers to the following routes and vice versa at 5am, 7am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm.
UPDATES:
As of 1 Apr, this service now operates 24/7. From just three routes when it was first implemented on 18 March, a total of 106 buses have been deployed and 19 routes are now available. Starting 15 Apr, the DOTr will be launching its 20th route for free bus rides for medical workers.
Northwest Area
Route 1
Meralco (Malanday)*
Valenzuela City General Hospital
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Caloocan City Medical Center
Tondo General Hospital
Our Lady of Fatima
Metropolitan Medical Center
San Lazaro Hospital
Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center
University of Sto. Tomas Hospital
Chinese General Hospital
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
Northwest Area
Route 2
Valenzuela Gateway Complex*
Quezon City General Hospital
Balintawak*
MCU Hospital (Monumento)*
Our Lady of Fatima University
Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
Northeast Area
Route 3
SM City SJDM (Bulacan)
Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (Caloocan)
SM Fairview*
Diliman Doctors Hospital
Veterans Memorial Medical Center
Lung Center of the Philippines
Philippine Heart Center
East Avenue Medical Center
Philippine Children’s Hospital
Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon Ave.)*
East Area
Route 4
SM City Masinag*
Marikina Valley Medical Center
Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal*
Quirino Memorial Medical Center
Araneta Center Bus Terminal
Robinsons Galleria*
The Medical City Ortigas
Route 5
Ortigas Hospital & Healthcare (Cainta)*
SM City East Ortigas
Pasig City General Hospital
The Medical City Ortigas
Robinsons Galleria*
VRP Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center*
Rizal Medical Center
Central Area
Route 6
Centris Station (EDSA / Quezon Ave.)*
Providence Hospital
Capitol Medical Center
Philippine Orthopedic Center (Banawe)
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
National Children’s Hospital
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
UERM Memorial Medical Center
MRT-3 Cubao / Araneta Center*
Central/East Area
Route 7
Pasig City General Hospital
Immaculate Conception Cathedral*
Pasig Rotonda
Rizal Medical Center
The Medical City Ortigas
Robinsons Galleria*
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
VRP Medical Center
National Center for Mental Health
Makati Medical Center*
Southeast Area
Route 8
Starmall Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
Makati Medical Center*
St. Luke’s Medical Center – BGC*
Southwest Area
Route 9
Vista Mall, Daang Hari*
Perpetual Help Medical Center (Las Piñas)
Las Piñas General Hospital
Baclaran Market*
San Juan de Dios Educational Medical Center
Pasay City General Hospital
Adventist Medical Center
Makati Medical Center*
Philippine General Hospital
Manila Doctors Hospital
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
Southeast Area
Route 10 (Feeder route)
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa City Hospital
Starmall Alabang*
Southeast Area
Route 11
Starmall Alabang*
SLEX Sucat Exit*
Bicutan Exit
San Juan de Dios EFI – Hospital
Gil Puyat Station LRT-1*
Philippine General Hospital
Manila Doctors Hospital
Southeast Area
Route 12
SM Molino
Imus Transport Plaza
Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center
Baclaran Market*
San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Hospital
Gil Puyat*
Adventist Medical Center Manila
Philippine General Hospital*
Manila Doctors Hospital*
South Area
Route 13
Seaoil Imus Daang Hari/Aguinaldo
Imus Transport Terminal*
Las Piñas General Hospital
Perpetual Help Medical Center
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine*
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Muntinlupa Hospital
Starmall Alabang*
East Area
Route 14
SM City Taytay
SM City East Ortigas
The Medical City Ortigas
Robinsons Galleria* (East Area Routes 4, 5, and Central/East Area Route 7 Transfer Point)
Cardinal Santos Medical Center
SM City Sta. Mesa
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
South Area
Route 15
SLEX Sucat Exit*
SE Routes 8 and 11 Transfer Point
Medical Center Parañaque
Unihealth – Parañaque Hospital & Medical Center
Olivarez General Hospital
The Premier Medical Center
Baclaran Market*
SE Routes 9 and 8, and SW Route 12 Transfer Point
Pasay City General Hospital
Adventist Medical Center
Philippine General Hospital
East Area
Route 16
SM City San Mateo*
St. Vincent Hospital
Immaculate Conception Hospital
Marikina Valley Medical Center
Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center
St. Anthony Medical Center
BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal*
East Area Route 4 Transfer Point
The Medical City Ortigas
Robinsons Galleria*
East Area Routes 4, 5, 14 and Central/East Area Route 7 Transfer Point
North East Area
Route 17
SM CITY SJDM – NE Route 3 Transfer Point*
North Caloocan Doctors Hospital
Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Doctors Hospital (Caloocan)
Bagong Silang Market
National Center for Mental Health (Camarin)
Caloocan City North Medical Center
Almar Market
Novaliches Market / Queensberry Hospital
Bernardino General Hospital II
SM Fairview/Commonwealth Hospital & MC*
NE Route 3 Transfer Point
South West Area
Route 18
Robinsons Place General Trias / Divine Grace Medical Center
San Pedro Calungsod Medical Center (Kawit)*
Binakayan Hospital and Medical Center
St. Dominic Medical Center (Bacoor)
PITX*
Baclaran Market*
SE Routes 9, 12, and 15 Transfer Point
South East Area
Route 19
First Cabuyao Hospital and Medical Center*
Balibago Transport Terminal – Sta. Rosa*
Caltex Rizal Blvd. (New Sinai MDI Hospital & Marian Hospital Drop-Off Point)
Perpetual Help Medican Center – Biñan*
Biñan Community Hospital
Westlake Medical Center
Divine Mercy Hospital
SM Center Muntinlupa*
Medical Center Muntinlupa (MPI)
Starmall – Alabang*
SE Routes 8, 10, 11, and 13 Transfer Point
East Area
Route 20
SM Masinag*
East Area Route 4 Transfer Point
BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal*
East Area Route 4 & 16 Transfer Point
Quirino Memorial Medical Center
MRT-3 Cubao Station*
EDSA Line Route 18 & East Route 4 Transfer Point
UERM Memorial Medical Center
National Children’s Hospital
De Los Santos Medical Center
St. Luke’s Medical Center (E. Rodriguez)
United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)*
NW Routes 1 and 2, SW Routes 9 and 18 and Central Route 6 Transfer Point
University of Santo Tomas Hospital
LRT-1 Lawton
Philippine General Hospital
*Pick-up/transfer points
Note: Routes are subject to change depending on the advice of the Department of Health.
DOTr collaborates with Google Maps
To help medical workers find the most ideal routes to and from their places of work, DOTr has partnered with Google Maps. With the help of the app or the web, frontliners can now find the nearest free bus rides available to them.
Here’s medical workers can use Google Maps to find the nearest available free bus rides:
Enter your destination.
Tap ‘Directions’.
Select the public transit tab.
Maps will pull up a recommended route that uses the DOTr’s hospital shuttle routes when available.
With the intention of pursuing a career in medicine, Gaby got her bachelor of science degree in psychology—and proceeded to follow her passion for writing instead. A former editorial assistant at Metro Society magazine, she loves to hear people's stories and tell them through her writing.