Embracing the spirit of the holiday season, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Thursday that the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), Line 2 (LRT-2), and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will offer free rides to commuters on Friday, 20 December.

According to Marcos, the offer will be available for the entire day and is expected to accommodate 1.1 million passengers, the highest ridership for the year.

“This initiative is a simple way to alleviate the cost for our citizens who are busy preparing for Christmas. May this bring comfort and make everyone feel the government's concern this holiday season,” he said.

The decision to offer free rides on 20 December, the last Friday before Christmas, was made because it marks the beginning of the holiday exodus, with many people traveling home to celebrate with loved ones.

The expected ridership for LRT Line 1 is 460,000; for LRT Line 2 is 200,000; and for MRT Line 3 it's 450,000, according to Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez.

He added that the railway transport system in the metro is located near major bus terminals in busy areas such as Caloocan City, Manila, Pasay, Cubao, North Avenue in Quezon City, and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).