Students using the Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line 3 will now enjoy a 50-percent fare discount starting Friday, June 20, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced.

Following a directive from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the Department of Transportation (DOTr) increased the student fare discount from 20 percent to 50 percent to ease the financial burden on students and their parents.

“Gaya ng sinabi ng Pangulo na dapat tulungan natin ang mga estudyante lalo na ngayon kabubukas palang ng klase. So kunting tulong sa mga estudyante, malaking bagay na rin ito (As the President said, we should help the students, especially now that classes are just about to start. So even a little help for the students is already a big thing),” Dizon said during a media interview at the LRT-2 Antipolo Station in Masinag.

“Starting today, 50 percent na ang discount ng ating mga estudyante. At tuloy-tuloy na ito (Starting today, our students will receive a 50 percent discount. And this will continue moving forward),” he added.

Dizon noted that LRT-2 has a large student ridership as it passes through the university belt area.

The 50-percent discount applies to all students from grade school, high school, college, and even those enrolled in postgraduate studies, including master’s and law school students. The discount is valid every day, including weekends and holidays.

To avail of the discount, students must present a valid ID for the current school year at the ticket counter. If they do not have an ID, a certificate of registration or enrollment will be accepted.

However, the 50-percent discount is only valid for single-journey tickets and not for beep cards.

“Para ma-avail nila yung discount kailangan nilang bumili ng single-journey ticket, kasi technically baka hindi pa kaya ni beep card na i-program sa ngayon pero pinipilit natin siguro in the next months ay magagawa na ng beep card (To avail of the discount, they need to buy a single-journey ticket, because technically the beep card might not be programmable for this yet. However, we are pushing for it, and hopefully within the next few months, the beep card will be able to do this),” Dizon said.

For LRT-2, the lowest student fare is ₱8, while the highest fare is ₱18.

Dizon estimated a daily revenue loss of ₱600,000 for LRT-2, with the combined loss for LRT-1 and MRT-3 at about ₱100,000 a day.

“It’s really going to be shouldered by the government. The government will swallow revenue losses, but at the end of the day it’s the taxpayers money," he said.