A college student, Joy Verdal, shared her unsettling experience after allegedly being bitten by small insects while riding the MRT-3 on Wednesday afternoon.

Interviewed by DZRH Digital, Verdal said she noticed the insects at around 1:59 p.m. as the train departed from Taft Avenue Station. She was seated in the female-only section, near the area designated for PWDs and pregnant passengers, when she felt a bite while leaning on the handrail.

“Sumandal ako sa parang hand-rails niya, naramdaman ko na may kumagat sa akin, so tiningnan ko po siya, and ‘yon parang maliliit siya na ipis,” she said.

Only two passengers were in that section at the time, and Verdal said she was unable to approach the station guard to inquire about her situation then. Concerned, she first reached out to MRT-3 directly online, but said she did not receive a reply.

“Na-post ko na po bago ako nag-send ng message sa kanila [MRT-3], [pero] wala silang reply.”

Verdal then shared her experience in an online group focused on public transportation.

In a separate post, an anonymous netizen who saw Verdal’s post reached out to Department of Transportation (DOTr) via Facebook Messenger.

^{Photo screen grabbed from online group via "anonymous participant"}

The DOTr responded, apologizing for the incident and assuring the public that “continuous and proactive disinfection and sanitation measures” are conducted across all trains and stations.

The agency further affirmed that their maintenance team conducted a thorough inspection and disinfection of the affected train, with routine sanitation protocols being reinforced to maintain cleanliness and passenger safety.

“We are reinforcing our routine sanitation protocols and intensifying monitoring efforts to further uphold the highest standards of cleanliness and passenger safety,” the MRT said.

Verdal urged MRT-3 management to ensure the trains remain clean, noting the daily reliance of passengers on the system.