The Management Association of the Philippines on Wednesday backed the fare increase of the LRT Line 1 that was earlier defended by the Department of Transportation (DoTr).

“The MAP favors the approval of the LRT-1 fare adjustment, pursuant to the contract between the government and the operator,” MAP said in a statement, signed by National Issues chairperson Rene Almendras and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Eddie Yap.

According to the officials, the extension to Dr. A. Santos Avenue was done even while the contractually guaranteed fare adjustment was not released.

Additionally, the train extension will soon reach Zapote and Bacoor in Cavite.

Starting 2 April, passengers riding the LRT-1 will see fare increases ranging from P5 to P10, resulting in fares between P20 and P55.

With the new rates, the maximum single journey fare will increase from P45 to P55, while the minimum fare will rise from P15 to P20.

Additionally, the maximum fare for a stored value card will go up from P43 to P52, and the minimum fare will increase from P15 to P16.

“On this, the MAP stands for the sanctity of contract and the rule of law. The agreed terms of the contract on the fare adjustment must be complied with by the government in order to protect the level of service required of the operator and prevent deterioration of service to the commuters,” the officials maintained.

However, they said that the MAP stands with the commuters when it advocated for the improvement of public transportation through the successful introduction of the EDSA Busway Carousel line.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon defended the fare hike approval, stating it is necessary to improve operations and extend the train line to Bacoor, Cavite, as the private operator, Metro Pacific, is also struggling because the government is pushing to extend LRT-1 to Cavite.