The remnants of the COVID-19 pandemic may still be here and there as the world comes to accept, but we’re seeing a lot of countries (including our own) ease up travel restrictions—even going as far as removing the requirement for face masks in public areas.

This includes public transportation, where several health protocols were implemented in the past, including the mandated mask rule to help further prevent the spread of the disease.

With the release of Department Order 2023-017 (or “the Lifting of the State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 297”), all COVID-19 health protocols in public transportation systems are now considered lifted.

This means that it is no longer mandatory to wear masks and observe physical distancing within PUVs. Also, expect public transportation systems to operate at full capacity, meaning that the pain of jam-packed commutes will also be making a return.

Either way, the discretion is still up to you, but it’s obviously a step forward to the usual normal (you know, before the pandemic happened three years ago).