This Good Doggo on a Bus to Batangas Is Your Sign to Travel ASAP

(SPOT.ph) Out of seven days in a week, there are only two days that make us unequivocally happy: the weekends. We either wake up at noon and just lie around the rest of the day, or go out with our loved ones on a much-needed short vacation near Metro Manila. Yumi, a five-month-old Aspin, knows this all too well. In a Facebook post, she's aboard a bus to Batangas for the first time with her fur parents because—yes—dogs are allowed on public transportation according to LTFRB's Memorandum Circular No. 2020-003.

"Every weekends nilalabas namin siya kasi buong weekdays, hindi na nakakalabas ng bahay," owners Mik and Annie told SPOT.ph about their adopted dog. Their family is traveling from Cubao to Batangas via ALPS Bus. They make sure that she's wearing a diaper and that they have her carrier when boarding public transport.

"Hinahanda namin yung mga gamit niya like diaper, cloth para higaan niya, food, and water. Better hindi muna siya pakainin [nang madami] before mag-travel," they added.

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How to Travel With Pet Dog on Public Transport

Under Memorandum Circular Number 2020-003, only small to medium-sized pets are allowed to board public buses, jeepneys, UV express, and P2P buses "without having to compromise the safety, health issues, and convenience of other passengers."

Pet animals should be in diapers to maintain cleanliness at all times. Pets placed inside a carrier or cage should be beside the passenger-owner. As an additional passenger, the owner should pay an extra fare for the seat occupied by the pet, the memo indicated.

"Gala na. Mana sa sa'min," Yumi's owners quipped. We're pretty sure her first bus trip to Batangas isn't the last.

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