More than 4.3 million passengers rode for free on Metro Manila’s major rail lines — LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 — from 30 April to 3 May as part of the government’s Labor Day celebrations, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reported.

The free ride culminated in a record-breaking 481,000 passengers on 30 April alone — the highest single-day ridership recorded on the city’s rail lines since the pandemic.

DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon emphasized that the initiative was a tribute to the country’s labor force and a measure to ease the daily burden of commuting.

“The free ride program is a huge help for our workers and commuters. That’s why, under President Marcos’ directive, we will make this an annual tradition every Labor Day as a way of recognizing the contributions of Filipino workers to the nation,” Dizon said in Filipino.

The Libreng Sakay program is intended to be institutionalized as a yearly activity, Dizon said.