Press Release
September 11, 2011

STATEMENT ON THE IMPENDING MRT AND LRT FARE HIKE

I am in full support of the Senate Resolution of Senator Joker Arroyo that would urge the President to suspend the impending imposition of fare hike on the mass rail transit systems in Metro Manila. In the face of the rising cost of basic commodities and services being implemented by private companies, additional financial burden coming from the government itself is the least that the more than a million MRT and LRT daily commuters wants and hopes for.

As I said before, after the fare increase, expect decrease in the number of LRT and MRT commuters. This would result in the increase of PUV passengers and slow movement of our labor force. Gaano man kamatwid ang daan, mahihirapan at matatagalan pa ring makakarating sa paroroonan. Lalong hindi maganda ito para sa ating ekonomiya.

Anumang paghihigpit na gawin ng gobyerno sa pondo nito, hindi pa rin uunlad ang bansa kung butas ang bulsa ng publiko, lalo na ng mga karaniwang manggagawa't empleyado. Ang kailangan natin ay maayos na serbisyo ng gobyerno, hindi mahal na serbisyo.

While we understand that the entire nation must not pay for the subsidy of one region, we must also take into account that not all regular passengers of MRT and LRT are permanent residents of NCR only. There are also countless ordinary workers and employees from various regions who are just working in Metro Manila to support their families in the provinces; even small businessmen. This is aside from the many students from the provinces who head to Metro Manila to study. In effect, the MRT and LRT operation does not only benefit one particular region; it does not serve the people of Metro Manila alone.

News Latest News Feed