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AMANILA, Philippines With Congress unwilling to break their holiday and hold special public
hearings, Bayan Muna is going to the Supreme Court to put the breaks on the Department of
Transportation and Communications move to increase fares of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1
and 2, and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3.
Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate said that that they would file
the petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the train fare adjustments of up
to 200 percent in January.

Metro Rail and Light Rail Transit Systems. FILE PHOTOS

The fare rate hike was announced by Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya on December 20
and it will take effect in 15 days or January 4. Abaya said that the fare adjustments were long
overdue as the last time the fare was increased for the oldest line was in 2003 while the fares of
the LRT2 and MRT3 had never been increased since they opened. Abaya said the fare hike
would slash P2 billion off the the P12 billion annual government subsidies for the trains that he
claimed would be used for projects outside of Metro Manila.
Colmenares claimed that the DOTC did not follow due process in increasing the fares as no
sufficient public hearing was held.
Sen. Grace Poe earlier castigated the DOTC for its deception when it did not even raise the
matter during a Senate hearing on the poor state of the MRT trains a few days before Abayas
announcement.
Colmenares also warned that the P2 billion in savings could be converted into a pork barrel
fund of the Aquino administration.

Bayan Muna estimated that the fare adjustments would jack up the fares of LRT 1 from Baclaran
to Roosevelt stations to P29 for a one-way trip from P12 and P15 at present; LRT-2 from
Santolan to Recto stations to P24 from P20 per ride; and the MRT-3, between North Avenue and
Taft Avenue, to P28 from P10 and P15 at present.
Zarate said that before increasing fares, the government should have determined whether the
operational costs (specifically the lease agreement with the MRT builder, which guaranteed 15
percent return on investments for 25 years) of the trains were to blame.
There is need for government to look into the operational costs of the MRT and LRT lines to
check if there might be excessive expenses or mismanagement of funds, said Rep. Zarate
Earlier, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said the Metro Manila development committee,
which he has been heading, could not hold public hearings on the LRT and MRT fare
adjustments because the decision to adjust the fares was the prerogative of the executive
department of government.
Castelo said he could only appeal to the Department of Transportation and Communications to
defer the fare hike for another year since Congress had just approved billions of pesos for the
LRT and MRTs subsidies and other expenses in the 2015 budget and the 2014 supplemental
budget.
The fare hike is supported by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. as a show of political will by the
government to take the bitter pill amid in the face of strong public opposition.
Its a question of political will. The government is doing what it believes is right. It made an
unpopular decision for the common good, he said.
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MANILA, Philippines - Malacaang yesterday supported the decision of the Department of

Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to increase fares in the Light and Metro Rail
Transit systems, saying this was long overdue.
Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the 60 percent LRT/MRT subsidy by taxpayers from
Visayas and Mindanao who are not train riders should stop, and train fares should be closer
to those of air-conditioned buses.
Fare hikes in the metropolis mass transport system which has conked out repeatedly and is
feared to be obsolete has always been mentioned in Aquinos yearly State of the Nation
Address.
Coloma stressed the fare hike is long overdue to free up the government subsidy on the
commuter train system.
He said it is most unfair that people who are not using the trains are shouldering LRT/MRT
operations.
Coloma said regular train commuters only pay P15 for the P40 worth of fare subsidized by
people living in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
Blackmail
Lawmakers from the Bayan Muna party-list group slammed Malacaang for virtually
blackmailing the public into accepting the LRT/MRT fare hikes.
Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate sought a special congressional inquiry into the fare
hikes during the Christmas break as the DOTC announced the fare hikes will take effect in the
first week of January.
We are not against development or the extension of the rail systems but we are against passing
government irresponsibility and corporate greed not to mention corrupt practices onto hapless
commuters, Colmenares said.
He said Malacaang was practically blackmailing the public into accepting the fare hikes when it
said these were meant to reduce government subsidies that may be otherwise used for other
projects.
The argument that the subsidy allotted to the MRT/LRT should be lowered or given to other
regions because they do not use it is wrong because such an argument can also be used against
projects in other regions, Colmenares said.

An example is like for the Aquino administration would stop constructing or rehabilitating a
bridge in Eastern Visayas because the people of Mindanao would not be using it, he said.
It is not wrong to subsidize projects that would benefit a specific region, so if the government
would also develop a mass transportation system for other regions then it would be good, what is
wrong is to create conflict and division among regions and provinces and pit the projects and
benefits of one region against the other, he added.
Zarate said the Aquino government has adopted privatization as its escape hatch whenever it
needs to bail out its public utilities buried in debt due to poor management and/or corruption.
He said the experience with privatization has shown that privatized utilities bring about
unregulated price increases.
It is feared that increasing fares will eventually lead to privatization and the states
abandonment of its duty to provide affordable mass transportation to the citizens, Zarate said.
Before proposing any increases, the high cost of operations and the large amount of debt
incurred by the project should first be investigated, specifically on whether taxpayers are actually
subsidizing debt incurred by the private consortium that built the MRT. There is need for
government to look into the operational costs of the MRT and LRT lines to check if there might
be excessive expenses or mismanagement of funds, he said.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the fare hike will push through on Jan. 4 next
year, even if commuters complain of long queues and poor service for the MRT and LRT Lines 1
and 2.
He issued Department Order No 2014-014, setting the new fares for the countrys three major
mass transport systems in the metropolis. With Paolo Romero

LRT, MRT fares hike opposed

by Kris Bayos
December 22, 2014

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Commuters are turning to the courts to stop the governments move to increase fares of the Light
Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT1 and 2) and the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) systems
scheduled on Jan. 4, 2015.
Elvira Medina of the National Center for Commuter Safety and Protection (NCCSP) said the
organization will petition for a temporary restraining order against the implementation of new
LRT-MRT fare matrix on January 4.
Medina described the impending LRT-MRT fare increase as ill-timed considering the results of
the recent survey among MRT 3 passengers and the findings of a separate technical audit of the
train system conducted by rail experts from Mass Transit Railway of Hong Kong. The survey
revealed overall passenger dissatisfaction in riding the MRT 3 while the audit itemized the
alarming technical and operational flaws in the rail system.
It will be adding insult to injury to propose an idea to raise the fare for the LRT and MRT
considering the survey made by the Senate and the audit result of the MTR of Hong Kong, she
said.
REPRESENTATIVES OPPOSE MOVE
Opposition to the fare hike was also voiced at the House of Representatives where Bayan Muna
Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate, both members of the House minority bloc, challenged
the House leadership to call for a special session that would tackle resolutions aimed at
conducting investigations into the operations of the Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 and the MetroRail
Transit 3.
Colmenares and Zarate are authors of two measures seeking a congressional inquiry into the
proposed hike in fare sought by Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 and the MetroRAil Transit 3.

We are not against development or the extension of the rail systems but we are against passing
government irresponsibility and corporate greed not to mention corrupt practices onto hapless
commuters, explained Colmenares.
As it is, we are calling on the House leadership to call for a special session for this or for the
Congress Transportation Committee to hold hearings for HR 111 even during the Christmas
break because the fare increase will be implemented as early as the first Monday of January,
said Colmenares.
LONG OVERDUE
However, Malacanang yesterday said that the fare hike in the LRT and MRT is long overdue.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. stressed
that the minimal fare hike in the LRT and MRT3 systems will result to reduced government
subsidy and the funds saved will instead be used to finance important social services.
Coloma, in an interview over government radio dzRB, said that President Aquino, in his 2013
State of the Nation Address (SONA), had favored the implementation of the fare hike in Metro
Manilas railway systems.
TRAIN LINES
LRT-1 travels from Baclaran to Roosevelt Ave. in Quezon City and vice versa, while LRT-2
serves the Recto Avenue, Manila-Santolan, Pasig route. On the other hand, the MRT-3 serves the
EDSA route from North Ave. in Quezon City to Taft Ave. in Pasay.
Coloma reiterated the Presidents pronouncements that it is unfair for taxpayers who are not
using the LRT and MRT3 systems that the government is shouldering P25 of the cost of each
passengers trip at the LRT, and P45 for the MRT-3, to make fares affordable for train riders.
Yon pong panukalang taasan ang pamasahe sa LRT (Light Rail Transit) at MRT (Metro Rail
Transit) ay makailang beses nang hindi itinuloy nung mga nakaraang buwan (The plan to
increase LRT and MRT fares has been repeatedly deferred in the past months), Coloma said.
Napapanahon na po na magpatupad ng minimal na pagtaas ng pamasahe (It is about time that
the minimal fare hike has to be implemented), he added.
NO JUSTIFICATION
From the consumers front, Sammy Malunes of the Riles Network said the justification of the
DOTC for the fare hike is not enough.
There is no basis for the increase in train fares, Malunes said. The price of petroleum products
may have decreased but wage rates remain the same, train systems are malfunctioning, queuing
at the train stations are still long and commuters waste a lot of time at long queues.

To demonstrate the groups opposition to the fare hike, Malunes said they will stage a picket
protest at the MRT North Avenue station in Quezon City at 7 a.m. The MRT 3 management holds
office at the basement of the Trinoma Mall, which is adjacent to the MRT North Avenue station.
FARE INCREASE ANNOUNCEMENT
In a late announcement Saturday, the DOTC finally announced the date implementing the
approved new fare computation for the LRT-MRT. The announcement came after continuous
drop in oil price resulted to the reduction of fares for public utility jeepneys.
Under the proposed new fare matrix, passengers will be charged P11 boarding fee plus P1 per
kilometer traveled via the LRT or MRT. Currently, an LRT 1 ride from Baclaran, Pasay to
Roosevelt in Quezon City costs P20 while the longest LRT 2 ride from Recto, Manila to
Santolan, Pasig costs P15. Meanwhile, the end-to-end trip at the MRT 3 from Taft Avenue, Pasay
to North Avenue costs P15. Once the new fare matrix is implemented, passengers will be charged
to as much as P30 for taking the longest LRT 1 ride, P25 for the LRT 2, or P28 for the MRT 3.
REDUCE GOVT SUBSIDY
The fare increase is meant to reduce government subsidy in operating the LRT and MRT
systems. Annual subsidy in the operation of the three overhead rail lines reportedly amounts to
P12 billion, which is used to subsidize 60 percent of the cost of an LRT 1 or LRT 2 ride and 75
percent of the price of an MRT 3 ticket.
8,240 CLASSROOMS
DOTC said P2 billion worth of subsidy will be freed up once the LRT-MRT fare hike is
implemented and used for development projects and relief operations in other parts of the
country. To illustrate, the DOTC said the projected P2 billion savings is equivalent to 8,240
classrooms, 82 kilometers worth of farm-to-market roads, or 11,440 hectares worth of irrigated
farmlands.
Allegedly because of the difference in fares that the government subsidizes, the LRT reported a
deficit of P4.704 billion while MRT reported a P7.250 billion for 2012. But once the fare
adjustment is implemented, the government is seen to generate P2.06 billion, which it said will
be used to fund projects such as construction of classrooms, farm-to-market roads, or irrigation
facilities.
The looming fare increase for LRT-MRT will affect an average of 500,000 passengers riding the
LRT 1 daily, the 220,000 daily riders of LRT 2 and the 560,000 patrons of MRT 3.

ROMBLON, Romblon, Philippines President Aquino defended yesterday the increase in fares
of the Light Rail Transits 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3 despite opposition from various
sectors, saying he was willing to take the bullet for an unpopular but long overdue decision to
improve train services.
There is no perfect decision here, Aquino said, noting the complaints from those who would
have additional expenses daily were expected.
But then he said the 86 million other Filipinos outside of Metro Manila who were not using the
trains deserved to have projects that would directly benefit them.
He told reporters that the contributions of non-Metro Manila residents should have been
decreased a long time ago.
Mula panahon pa, hindi naman ni Magellan pero noong pagkatagal-tagal na, Aquino said,
referring to an old Filipino joke about something from long ago that would date back to the time
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan led a Spanish expedition and discovered the
Philippines.
Taxes, higher fares and prices are always a bitter pill to swallow for the people but Aquino said
he did not want to leave the LRT and MRT problems behind.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
In his speech, Aquino said he has no more qualms about leaving office by 2016. The President
was here for the aerial inspection of the Romblon-Sawang-Agpanabat provincial road and
ceremonial inauguration of new buildings at the Romblon Provincial Hospital and Romblon
Public Theater in Poblacion.
The decision is not about popularity, okay. I dont want to be part of the problem, he said,
noting that he could not defer the increase and then just pray to St. Jude that the trains would run
safely until the end of his term and the burden would be on the shoulders of his successor.
The President admitted he was told that the timing of the decision was bad but the truth was that
the issue about increasing train fare structures had been around since 2011.
Offer solutions
He urged those criticizing him to offer solutions that would solve train woes without fare hikes.
Aquino appealed to the train commuters to consider the fact that the train facilities being used by
14 million people were also being paid for by 86 million other Filipinos.
He explained the government would have to subsidize P45 out of the P60 daily expenditure per
train passenger from end to end because commuters were only paying P15.

Now whats painful is that the equipment is old. The newest (relatively) is MRT (that was built)
in 1999, the President said.
He said it had been 16 years since MRT 3 was constructed and the major overhaul was done
eight years ago.
The President said the P12-billion subsidy from the government could just make the trains run
daily.
Can we improve them (with the subsidy)? No. Can we add service? No. Pwede mo bang basta
mapatakbo lang yung tawag sa amin noong bata kami maskipaps or maski-papaano. We spend
P12 billion for that (daily operations), Aquino said.
The President said the 86 million non-train users could very well question why they had to pay
the P45 subsidy for a passenger daily without any benefit.
Aquino said the people in the provinces could also ask for better public transport, airports and
seaports for them.
The President stressed the P2-billion subsidy that would be taken out of train operations could be
used for other programs while the P10 billion retained by Congress would be allotted for
improvements of the train system for escalators, elevators, comfort rooms, waiting areas.
He again said he could not depend on luck to keep the trains running.
The President said taking the trains should be better than the bus and thus he wondered why
people were willing to pay higher for an air-conditioned bus than the train.
Aquino said there would be additional train coaches and facilities like the signaling system,
among others that would be changed.
The President told the noisiest of his critics that his ears were open all the time and ready to
listen if there would be suggestions to solve the problem.
If they could solve the problem, I will listen. If what they have is better, then what are we going
to do? Pero kung puro reklamo at wala namang solusyon na inihahain, talagang nagpapa-cute
lang sila at wala silang hilig na magkaroon ng solusyon sa problema, Aquino said.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) has decried additional fare increases to be
shouldered by commuters using the LRT 1.
Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said this was admitted by officials of the Department of
Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in the House public hearing last Thursday.

The DOTC admitted that under a concession agreement with the Light Rail Manila Consortium
of Ayala and Metro Pacific, the private operator will be getting a 10.25-percent fare increase
every two years, regardless of their financial standing, the group noted.
Lawmakers also assailed President Aquino for what they said was his insensitive and insulting
remarks that critics of the MRT and LRT fare hikes were just seeking publicity.
Buhay party-list Rep. Joselito Atienza said it was unfortunate that Aquino did not see the issue as
about the ordinary commuters welfare and effect of the fare hikes on their daily wages.
Im very disappointed if thats how he (Aquino) sees the issue. This is not about politics or
papogi. This is about the ordinary Filipinos condition and the mandate that the MRT and LRT
provide the most efficient ride at the minimum cost, Atienza said.
Abakada-Guro party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz and former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy
Casio said the comment was insulting for those fighting the fare hikes, including senior
administration lawmakers who do not support the move.
De la Cruz said several lawmakers from Aquinos Liberal Party were strongly opposed to the
fare hikes but could not say so openly for fear of reprisals.
Casio, one of the petitioners before the Supreme Court against fare hikes, said it was tragic
that Aquino trivialized what is a very important gut issue for ordinary Filipinos, especially the
minimum wage earners who are already overtaxed.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, one of Aquinos allies, said that minimum wage earners
would be among the hardest hit by the fare increases.
Citing data from the 2013 Annual Poverty Indicator Survey (APIS), Bello said citizens residing
in the National Capital Region (NCR) are spending around P42 per day on transportation 6.6
percent of the daily household budget.
Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo urged Malacaang to certify as urgent a bill creating a Rail
Regulatory Board to supervise, oversee, and regulate the countrys railway system. With
Christina Mendez, Rhodina Villanueva, Paolo Romero

Aquino says reasonable to hike MRT, LRT fares

President Benigno Aquino III says the government must hike the fares for the Metro Rail Transit
(MRT) 3 and Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1 and 2 so it can use the subsidy for the rail systems to
fund other social services
Rappler.com
Published 6:15 PM, Jul 22, 2013
Updated 3:56 PM, Jul 23, 2013

MANILA, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III said the government must hike the fares
for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 and Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1 and 2 so it could use the
subsidy for the rail systems for other social services.
In his 4th State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 22, Aquino said the government has been
shouldering P25 of the cost of each trip made by passengers using the LRT, and P45 using the
MRT.
"Each and every Filipino pays a share of the subsidy - whether you live in Mindanao or Visayas
and not once have you ever stepped onto the LRT or MRT, you help fund this," he said.
He said it doesn't help that profits from posters and billboards in train stations go to private
companies instead of government. He said this was a result of the decision of "past leaders" to
"give away our commercial development rights."

"What we could have used to subsidize the cost of maintenance and operations was given away,"
he said.
"Perhaps it is only reasonable for us to move the fares of the MRT and LRT closer to the fares of
air-conditioned buses so that the government subsidy for the MRT and LRT can be used for other
social services," he added.
Commuters using MRT-3 pay P15 for a one-way trip along the entire line from Taft Avenue in
Pasay City to North Avenue in Quezon City.
The same fare is charged by LRT-1, which connects Baclaran in southern Metro Manila to
Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City.
A P10 fare hike is scheduled to be implemented in tranches for both trains this year until 2014.
Aquino said the true cost of a whole trip on the MRT is P60, and it's P40 on the LRT.
Rappler.com

Sona 2013: Silent on water tax, all-out on LRT/MRT fare hike

Photo by Cheryl Ravelo/Reuters

Two things stood out in the State of the Nation Address (Sona) that reaffirmed the big business
and neoliberal bias of President Benigno Aquino III. First, which stood out because of its
conspicuous absence in the Sona, is the issue of passed on income taxes and other expenses by
Manila Water and Maynilad. Second is the all-out push by Aquino to hike the fares in LRT and
MRT, which is tied to the regimes public-private partnership (PPP) or privatization program.
Incidentally, both involve two influential business interests that are widely seen to have close ties
with the Aquino administration the Ayala family and the group of Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP).
The Ayalas control Manila Water while the MVP group controls Maynilad. These big business
interests have also set up the Light Rail Manila Consortium, one of the bidders in the scheduled
privatization of LRT 1 this month.
Double standards
Aquinos evasion of the water income tax issue underscores the double standards of his daang
matuwid and anti-corruption rhetoric, which as usual was again prominent in his speech. In his
Sona, the President praised the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for
instituting reforms in the agency. It will be recalled that in his first Sona, Aquino hit the water
agency for hefty bonuses enjoyed by its officials. Such anomaly has already been addressed, said
Aquino, citing the almost P2-billion income of MWSS last year from a P34-million deficit in
2010. He also praised Sec. Rogelio Singson, who used to be president and CEO of Maynilad, for
addressing corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
But while extolling the MWSS and Singson for the supposed good governance reforms in their
agencies, Aquino did not mention the onerous Concession Agreement that involved MWSS and

Singson and made consumers pay for the income taxes, corporate donations, advertisements and
other expenses of Maynilad and Manila Water. More importantly, the President said nothing on
what he intends to do with the said anomalous PPP contract. Did Sec. Rene Almendras, who as
former Manila Water president was also involved in implementing the controversial Concession
Agreement had a hand in determining the content of the Sona in his capacity as Secretary to the
Cabinet?
The presence of former top executives of the Ayalas and MVP in key Cabinet positions and the
PPP as centerpiece economic program of the Aquino administration explain the deliberate silence
of the President on the controversy hounding Manila Water and Maynilad. While the MWSSRegulatory Office is disputing the private water concessionaires on the issue of income taxes and
other pass-on charges, it is still Malacaang that will be decisive ultimately.
Through their paid ads weeks before the Sona, Manila Water and Maynilad have warned not only
the regulators but Malacaang itself on the supposed sanctity of privatization contracts. They
know that the privatization of MWSS is regarded as the barometer of PPP in the Philippines and
a decision detrimental to the water concessionaires (and favorable to the consumers) will
seriously undermine the PPP initiatives of Aquino. Aquinos refusal to issue a categorical
statement backing the widespread public clamor against the questionable charges of Manila
Water and Maynilad in his Sona speaks volumes about where the Presidents loyalty lies.
Malacaang apparently does not want to upset the Ayalas and the MVP group which have been
among the most aggressive in securing PPP contracts from government.
Fare hike and privatization
While Aquino was silent on the abusive pricing of Manila Water and Maynilad and the
oppressiveness of the Concession Agreement, the President was clear in his relentless push to
increase the fares in LRT and MRT. Like the MWSS, the LRT and MRT fare hike was also
among the controversial issues raised by Aquino in his first Sona.
Reiterating his position in 2010, Aquino claimed that increasing the LRT and MRT fares to
approximate air conditioned bus fares is justified. He raised the argument repeatedly pointed out
by Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) officials that government is
supposedly subsidizing P25 (LRT) to P45 (MRT). Freeing up such subsidies means more funds
for social services that will benefit the entire country and not only the Metro Manila commuters,
argued the President. The DOTC has earlier announced that it will implement a P10-fare hike to
be implemented in two tranches.
But it has been pointed out that the supposed subsidies, in the case of MRT, actually go to service
debts arising from the guaranteed profits and sovereign guarantees given by government to the
train systems former private operators. LRT lines, on the other hand, are generating enough
revenues to cover its maintenance and operation, although debts also bloat the total costs. Debts,

however, should not be passed on to commuters as mass transportation is a public investment

that generates economic and social gains.
Aquino and his transportation officials are not saying it, but the real reason behind the persistent
drive to raise LRT and MRT fares is the governments grand PPP program for Metro Manilas
light rail system. It will start with the P60.63-billion LRT 1 extension and privatization, the
biggest PPP project so far of the administration. Increasing the fares would demonstrate
governments resolve and ability to regularly adjust fares, despite its unpopularity, to make the
system profitable as planned in the draft 35-year Concession Agreement for LRT 1.
The said LRT 1 Concession Agreement is as onerous as the MWSS Concession Agreement. Its
latest draft (as of June 27) still contains the so-called regulatory risk guarantee. Section 20.4.a of
the draft agreement allows the private LRT 1 operator to secure deficit payment from
government (i.e., taxpayers) when the approved fare is lower than the notional fare. The
notional fare is a pre-determined fare level set out in the Concession Agreement that will ensure
the commercial viability of LRT 1 and the profits of its private operator. This effectively
deregulates the setting of fares and renders meaningless any intervention from Congress, the
courts and other regulatory agencies.
Aside from the Ayala-MVP group, other LRT 1 bidders are presidential Uncle Danding
Cojuangcos SMC Infra Resources Inc.; the Consunjis DMCI Holdings Inc., which also lists
Japanese giant Marubeni Corp. as one of its partners; and the MTD Samsung Consortium of
Malaysia and South Korea.
Aquino packaged his Sona as the Sona of the people. He claimed that inclusive growth is behind
every initiative of his administration. The past three years say otherwise. His silence on the
Manila Water and Maynilad controversy, his all-out push for LRT and MRT fare hike, his rabid
promotion of neoliberal privatization, all say otherwise. (END)

Despite fare hike, commuters still queue for MRT, LRT rides
January 5, 2015 7:57am

LRT, MRT fare hike draws flak from commuters, netizens . Commuters check the new fare matrix
posted on A wall at the LRT Doroteo Jose station in Manila on Monday, January 5. The new base fare which
took effect Sunday, January 4, is now P11 from the current P10 with P1 per additional kilometer. DOTC Sec.
Jose Emilio Abaya said the increased rates will bring improved services on the LRT and MRT lines. Commuters
call the fare increase an "inconsiderate move" slapped against students and poor workers using the transport
systems. Danny Pata

A fare increase has not diminished the long queues of commuters taking the Light
and Metro Rail Transit systems.

On the first working day of the year, long lines formed anew at MRT stations, radio
dzBB's Rodil Vega reported early Monday.

Commuters at the MRT North Avenue station in Quezon City told dzBB's Vega they
still prefer the MRT because it can get them to their destinations faster, but said
they expect better service with the fare hike.

Most of those in the early morning queue were students and workers.

A photo posted by dzBB's Vega on Twitter showed the long line that formed at the
North Avenue station.

Kahit nagtaas ang pasahe sa MRT na dagdag pasanin sa mga pasahero, pila sa North Ave.,
mahaba pa rin. | via @Rodveg72 pic.twitter.com/WSuWgU2mYO

 DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 4, 2015

At the LRT Santolan station, meanwhile, the long queue of commuters spilled onto
the streets.

Pila ng mga pasahero sa LRT Santolan kanina, ulat ni @FeuPortraits | I-tweet ang inyong ulat!
#bantaycommute pic.twitter.com/FYjENXvMEy
YouScoop (@YouScoop) January 5, 2015

Starting Jan. 4, the new base fare is P11 from the current P10 with P1 per additional
kilometer.

Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya said

the increased rates will bring improved services on the MRT and LRT lines.

LRT Line 1 links Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran, while Line 2 links CM
Recto to Santolan. MRT links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay
City via EDSA.

On Sunday, militants held selfie protests at LRT stations to question the fare hike.

Militants to fight fare hike

Meanwhile, militants started gathering at the LRT-2 Recto station for a protest action
as of 7 a.m., radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported.

Militant groups also called on the public to join protests and support a petition
before the Supreme Court questioning the fare hike.

Militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan called on commuters and

taxpayers to "resolutely oppose" the fare increases, which it said had been
"treacherously announced and implemented during the holidays."

Such a fare hike is "without legal basis" and "patently anti-commuter," it added.

Bayan branded the fare hike President Benigno Aquino III's "Great Train Robbery,"
which it said will "victimize the 1.3 million daily commuters of the MRT and LRT,
taking from their pockets P2.1 billion."

"Today and in the coming days, we will stage mass protest actions to air the
peoples outrage over the unjust fare increases. Today, we file a petition before the
Supreme Court seeking a stop to the fare hike. A broad array of groups and
individuals have united to challenge the fare hike before the High Court," it added.
Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

LRT, MRT fare hike likely in August DOTC

June 21, 2013 6:44pm
303 120 0 954

Tags: Department of Transportation and Communication

The P10 fare increase on Metro Manilas three elevated railways could start in
August as the government expects to cut back subsidy on train operations,
Transportation and Communications Secretary Emilio Abaya said.
Wala pa namang eksaktong petsa, pero ang plano namin within the year maexecute po ito [fare hike], Abaya said in a report on GMA News TV's Kape at
Balita on Friday. Siguro August.
The increase will come in two tranches: one this year and another in 2014.
On the average ang increase po ay P5 sa unang taon at sa ikalawang taon ay P5
din po, Abaya said. Aabutin po roughly ng P10. Ang desisyon po namin ay hatiin
po ito by P5 on the average per year.
The increase was proposed as the government eyes to lessen its subsidy for train
operations.
LRT-1 runs from Baclaran in Pasay to Roosevelt in Caloocan city, while LRT-2 runs
from Santolan in Pasig City to C.M. Recto in Manila.
The MRT, meanwhile, links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City
via Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).

(Ang) panukala ng ating pamahalaan na i-increase ito (pamasahe) para yung

subsidy na binibigay (ng) ating pamalahaan sa LRT at MRT ay mabawasan at
mailagay sa ibang serbisyong maaaring ibigay sa taongbayan, he said.
Clearly, pag may subsidy sa rail talagang ang nakikinabang sa subsidy niyan ay
yung mga gumagamit lamang samantalang yung mga taga-Mindanao at Visayas
(ay) bihira lang magagamit ang LRT at MRT so therefore yung subsidy noon
technically ay hindi nila napapakinabangan, he added.
Abaya the fare hike has been approved since last year but has been stalled for
sometime.

Unang-una, matagal niyo nang narining na na-approve na po ito Natapos na po

ang public consultation. Pero ako personally, maganda na magkaroon ng public
consultation muli para malaman ang sentimyento (ng publiko), he said.
Meanwhile, militant group Bayan on Friday labeled the fare hike as unjust and anticommuter.
The increase is an unjust burden on commuters. The fare hike will not necessarily
go to improved services since it will only be used to pay the debts incurred by the
train lines, Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. said in a statement.
He added that the P6 billion to P9 billion yearly subsidy goes to paying off the huge
debts of the train lines. The justification for the fare hike is that subsidy is being
reduced. This means that debt payments will now be taken from the pockets of the
commuters. Rouchelle Dinglasan/KBK, GMA News

Youth party: MRT/LRT fare hikes unconscionable

4 January 2015 118 views No Comment

The fare hikes for the LRT 1, LRT 2 and MRT-3 are unconscionable, especially at a time when
our nation is recovering from major disasters, and at a time when workers wages remain grossly
insufficient to even cover for basic needs.
This is the statement of Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon as the Department of Transportation
and Communications (DOTC) begins the implementation of huge fare increases in three of the
nations train lines.
Fare rates in the three light rail systems have almost doubled, with the fare for the single journey
ticket from North Avenue to Taft Avenue rising from the current P15 to P28, while maximum
fares at the LRT 1 reaching P30.
Youth and student activists greeted the first day of implementation of the fare hikes with a series
of lightning protests in MRT stations.
The fare hike is simply unacceptable and is a heavy burden for workers and students who are
the main patrons of our train lines. Its also enraging to ask for an increase at a time when the
cost of electricity, fuel and other basic utilities are also rising, Ridon said.
In fact, the fare increase proposal is baseless, the youth solon said. We cannot agree to a fare
hike that is both unjustified and exorbitant, he said.
Ridon explained that the operation and maintenance (O&M) cost of the MRT is actually lower
than the previous fare rate. The legislator said that under the farebox method or the proportion
of fare revenues to the total operational costs of trains, MRT O&M cost per passenger costs only
P9.11, which is P0.89 to P5.89 more than the P10 to P15 fares charged until recently.
No less than the DOTC admitted that bulk of the expenses that the government shoulders for the
train systems go to guaranteed profits of private counterparts and debt payment. If we look at the
data closely, O&M costs can already be covered by the P10-P15 fare rates. There is a shortage of
funds due to the governments onerous debts, Ridon said.
Clearly, the government wants to continue passing the burden of onerous debt and guaranteed
profits to the people, even resorting to the use of twisted logic to defend its position, Ridon said.
Back in July 2014, President Benigno Aquino III explained in length why there is a need to
increase train fares in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Each trip that one passenger makes on the LRT is estimated to cost P40. What does each
passenger pay? P15. This means that the government subsidizes the remaining P25. As for the
MRT, the true cost of one trip is P60: P15 paid by passengers, P45 by the governmentin the

end, each and every Filipino pays a share of the subsidy. Whether you live in Mindanao or
Visayas, and not once have you ever stepped onto the LRT or MRT, you help to fund this,
Aquino explained in his fourth SONA.
Following Aquinos line of thinking, it would not be surprising if more baseline services grow
even more expensive as the government intensifies its liberalization agenda and its unhampered
favor for big business. We must fight off this fare hike with collective determination as it is an
unjust and unconscionable burden, Ridon said.

June 30: Countdown to SONA protests begins

Posted date: June 30, 2014In: News Releases

News Release
June 30, 2014

On the fourth anniversary of the inauguration of Benigno Aquino III as president, cause-oriented
groups marched to Mendiola bridge, led by farmers from different parts of the country. The
Lakbayan protest signals the start of the countdown for an even bigger nationwide mass action
on July 28, Aquinos 5th State of the Nation Address.
Its not just in the Sandiganbayan where an important trial is being held. Outside the court, in
the streets, in the communities, schools and work places, another is taking place. It is the Aquino
regime that is on trial, and the verdict will be out on July 28 at the SONA protests, said Bayan
secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
It is only fitting that on June 30, it will be the poor farmers who will confront the landlord
president. The fake land reform program CARPER, initiated by the first Aquino regime in 1987
and lapsed under the second Aquino regime in 2014, has failed to actually distribute land and
uplift the conditions of peasants all over the country, Reyes said.
Bayan said that 4 years is more than enough time to pass judgement on the Aquino government
and its performance. We are past the midway mark of Aquinos term. He has failed at land
reform, right at his own backyard in Hacienda Luisita. He has failed at securing a stable price of
rice, and is in fact oblivious to the causes of rising prices of agricultural products. Like a true
landlord, he cares little for what the common people are experiencing, Reyes added.
And it makes little sense too that Aquino would even aspire for a Nobel Peace prize nomination
in light of the troubles and conflicts faced by the country, he added.
The group noted that while farmers face worsening conditions, government officials get fat
bonuses and salaries. It cited the case of Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala who is the highest
paid cabinet official because of his P2 million salary at the Department of Agriculture and
another P2.1 million salary as chair of the National Food Authority council. Bayan has assailed
the huge salary of Alcala because of his failures to curb the rising prices of agricultural products.
The June 30 protesters are demanding the enactment of a genuine land reform program because
of the gross failures of CARPER.

Bayan will be spearheading a nationwide protest on July 28 in time for the SONA. This years
protest is expected to be bigger than last year due to burning issues such as the pork barrel scam,
rising prices of commodities, the plight of Yolanda victims, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation
Agreement, and human rights violations. ###

Aquino seeks to institutionalize DAP, orders kill impeach in Sona

Written by Tribune Wires

Wednesday, 30 July 2014 00:00

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President Aquino sought to institutionalize the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and
issued a subtle order for his allies in Congress to kill moves to impeach him in his penultimate
State of the Nation Address (Sona), militant groups said yesterday.
Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), said Aquino used
the Sona as a platform to justify the DAP and to send a clear message to Congress that the
impeachment complaint should be junked.
Reyes said Bayan would pursue the impeachment complaint. Three impeachment complaints
have so far been filed against the President the first two were in relation to the DAP and the
third was for the signing of the US-PH Enhanced Partnership Cooperation Agreement.
Not only did Aquino defend the controversial DAP to the hilt during his fifth Sona, he also
issued marching orders to institutionalize it, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casio added.
They want to institutionalize the DAP through the redefinition of savings, Casio said at a
press conference yesterday.
Casio added the joint resolution would give Aquino a free hand to amend the GAA. This is
dangerous for the check-and-balance in government and to the separation of powers of the three
branches of government.
Political analyst Fr. Benito Tuazon added the Sona was too glaringly one-sided.
I understand (that the) State of the Nation (involves) telling me what is the real condition of our
nation, he said.
He gave an analogy of a patient consulting a doctor.
If there was an examination I would like my doctor to tell me not only what is good about me
but what is also ailing me. What were mentioned (in the Soan) were those that they had done;
(but) those that were not done seems to have been forgotten, Tuazon said.
Tuazon pointed out the glaring disparity between Aquinos statement on efforts for Yolanda and
what is really happening on the ground.
I would not contest what had been reported ... but what I would have expected was an honest
assessment of what really happened. And then if there were lessons learned, those could have
been mentioned and how to address them. He did not even mention what other organizations had
done, he said.
Voice of America said Aquino is fighting for his political career in the face of several
impeachment complaints and approval ratings that have dipped to their lowest levels since he

took office four years ago.

It said the controversy is over a government spending program, parts of which the high court
struck down this month.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad defended the program, saying it was funded through savings
that resulted in cutting practices vulnerable to corruption. Abad said it brought a dramatic
improvement to economic growth.
During his national address last Monday, Aquino cited examples of how the quick funding
helped the school system and disaster response efforts among numerous other initiatives.
I know that those of you in this hall are one with me in believing that we must not deprive our
countrymen of benefits, and that these should reach them in the soonest possible time. This is
why: We are proposing the passage of a supplemental budget for 2014, so that the
implementation of our programs and projects need not be compromised, Aquino stated.
The administration stopped the use of DAP and submitted a motion for reconsideration to the
Supreme Court. Petitioners have been asked to respond.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said pressing national issues such as
the Freedom of Information bill, FoI, territorial dispute, coup detat, smuggling, shortage on rice
supply, and electricity problem were not included in the Sona because the administration had
addressed them already.
On the West Philippine Sea issue, Coloma said Aquino had opted not to include in his speech the
aspect of the territorial disputes.
The President may have felt there is sufficient public awareness on the West Philippine Sea
issue, as well as an adequate level of support from the people, including endorsements from
leading countries, to the countrys recourse to UN arbitration, Coloma said.
Aquino said in his Sona that The modernization of the Armed Forces is currently ongoing.
Aquino had said he was aware of the challenges our country faces, and we also know the high
cost of the equipment we need.
Without mentioning the territorial disputes, Aquino had only said that, today, I am glad to report
to you the ongoing modernization of the AFP.
On the unending problem of smuggling, Coloma said Aquinos message could have not been
heard by those who were complaining about smuggling.
Maybe they failed hear it. The President discussed the wider campaign of reforms in the Bureau
of Customs and an increase of collections, Coloma said.
On the FoI bill, Coloma said Aquino had already made his statement about the possibility of its
passage in Congress before his term ends in 2016 that there was no need to have it in his Sona.
You are correct in surmising that he had already made the assuranceduring the Daylight
Dialog that it would be passed before his term ends in 2016, Coloma said.
Coloma said the members of Congress could have already got the message of Aquino about his
desire on FOI bill.
He made a judgment call that, indeed, a word to the wise will suffice; hence, he deemed it no
longer necessary to discuss it anew in the Sona, Coloma saod.
On the impending power crisis in Luzon and Metro Manila, Coloma said Aquino had already
addressed the power problem in his Sona.
A review of the speech will readily show that he did address the power issue. He directed

Secretary Petilla to consult with all important stakeholders, inckuding the ERC, the Joint
Congressional Power Commission, the industry players, and civil society organizations, Coloma
said.
Aquino said that they were doing everything in their power to ensure that the growing energy
demand in the country is met. Angie M. Rosales, Paul Atienza

Many people will be glued to their television sets today to listen to President Benigno
Aquino III tell them what they already know: the state of the nation as he sees it. The trouble
with this annual rigmarole is that every person has his or her own view of the state of the nation.
The President sees it with rose-colored glasses, thanks to his efforts. The people, especially the
poor, see it differently. Life is harder, there is less to eat, he is still a squatter, he still has no job,
his children are out of school, one of them is sick but cant get sufficient medical attention
because he has no money for his hospitalization or for a doctor, he cant get help from
government charity agencies because the red tape is so long, corruption in government is still
endemic, crime is still common, etc., etc.
But to hear it from the President and his allies, we are about to enter the Promised Land; to hear
it from the opposition, we are worse off now than we were before. After every Sona, the people
are bewildered. Who should they believe?
***
Why is it that in conducting almost all transactions in the Philippines, you have to have clearance
from the National Bureau of Investigation that you are not a criminal and you have to prove your
birth with a birth certificate? Are criminals so widespread in the Philippines that it is presumed
that any person without an NBI clearance is a criminal?
Look at the long lines of Filipinos patiently waiting for their clearances in front of the NBI. Look
at the hordes of people waiting for copies of their own birth certificates at the National Statistics
Office. Even when you want to pay your taxes, pay your loan at the Social Security System or
the Government Service Insurance System, or deposit money in the bank, you have to wait a
long time.
In the age of IT, why is it still so difficult to transact business? Wasnt that one of the goals of the
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo administration, to eliminate red tape? But the tape has become not
only longer but redder. And it looks like it is not going to be any shorter any time soon.
For example, look at what is happening at the NBI. The NBI clearance has become a basic
requirement in our lives, be it for job applications, securing business permits, getting a passport
or visa, or for any other legal purpose. It is as if we are a nation of criminals.
For 32 years until last June 30, the NBI clearance was through the piano method,
fingerprinting all fingers through ink and security paper. For 32 years, Megadata was the
information technology provider of the NBI for its Clearance System under a BOT (buildoperate-transfer) arrangement.
For 32 years, the NBI Clearance System was co-managed by the bureau and Megadata. It started
in 1978 when the original memorandum of agreement was forged by the two parties. The
arrangement remained in force through multiple extensions, until June 30, 2011. All of a sudden,
Megadata took the Operations System Software and Hardware last June 30, the day its contract
expired. Megadata left to the NBI just the files in the databank. The mother software which
opens, stores the files and manages the system was taken by Megadata.

This act of Megadata was said to be in violation of its original BOT contract with the NBI.
Megadata was supposed to transfer technical expertise, software and hardware to the NBI upon
the termination of its contract.
Megadata is involved with other controversial information technology services including the
issuance of alleged low quality drivers licenses, an accusation of then Land Transportation
Office (LTO) chief Alberto Suansing.
During the administration of President Joseph Estrada, the Office of the Ombudsman
investigated then Justice Secretary Serafin Cuevas and his brother Filemon, ambassador at large,
for an apparent conflict of interest arising from the awarding of a P4-billion government
project to a company where they have holdings. The contract was later on cancelled.
The Cuevases are major stockholders of Amalgamated Management and Development Corp.
(AMDC). This company is a member of the Megadata Consortium which won the bid for the
computerization of land titling of the LRA, which is an agency under the Department of Justice,
whose chief was then Serafin Cuevas.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered an investigation of Megadata for failing to transfer
technology and expertise to the NBI as provided in the contract.
I find it questionable that there is no such transfer after more than 30 years, she said.
The contracts expiration last June 30 without a replacement has resulted in confusion among
applicants for NBI clearance. Also to be investigated is how Megadata was retained for 32 years.
NBI will hold a bidding for a new IT service provider in about six months. Which means
applicants for NBI clearance will have to suffer for at least six more months.
The NBI said it wants to avail itself of the latest technologies at par with investigative agencies
of other countries like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Britains Scotland Yard.
Meanwhile, the NBI has set up satellite offices in Ever-Gotesco malls. These satellite offices will
be using biometrics as opposed to the antiquated piano system of Megadata. Ever-Gotesco
malls are in Quezon City, Manila and Caloocan.
***
The fight between the National Printing Office (NPO) and the Asian Productivity Organization
(APO) is not yet over, even with the denial by APO that the two government printing agencies
would be merged.
The NPO sent a press release denying that it has only one printing press. It has 20 presses, it said.
It also said that while it is true that NPO subcontracts government printing jobs to private
printers, APO also subcontracts some of its government printing jobs.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/8581/everybody-has-his-own-version-of-thesona#ixzz3OQRHO2WT

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A+
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Metro Rail and Light Rail Transit Systems. FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines Three senators on Monday voiced their opposition against the fare
increase in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3), with at
least two expressing support to the Supreme Court petitions to stop the fare hike.
Yes, I am against the increase as well, Senator Francis Chiz Escudero said in a text message
when asked if he would support plans by some groups to raise the matter before the high court.
There was no mention in the budget hearings of such an increase and they have sufficient
budget cover for the improvement of MRT3. Besides, they should first improve the system and
prevent all commuter problems before even starting to think of an increase, Escudero,
chairman of the Senate finance committee, said.
Additionally, I dont think they can tack this increase on hearings held way back in 2001 which
therefore gives rise to questions involving the absence or lack of due process, Escudero said.
Senator Vicente Tito Sotto III, an opposition member, also gave his support to petitions
against the LRT, MRT fare hike.
Yes, I do if its the only recourse left, Sotto said in a text message.
Another opposition member, Senator Joseph Victor JV Ejercito, also protested the fare hike,
saying it was ill-timed since it was implemented at the start of the year and as the country is
preparing for the upcoming Feast of the Black Nazarene this week and visit of Pope Francis
next week.
Walang puso ang bawat piso na dagdag-pasahe sa MRT at LRT na itinaon sa gitna ng
malaparusang serbisyo na dinaranas ng mga pasahero nito tulad ng napakahabang pila, kawalan

ng gumaganang elevator at escalator, at tumitigil o nadidiskaril na tren, Ejercito said in a

statement.
Napakasama din ng timing nito na itinaon sa pagpasok ng bagong taon, sa magaganap na pista
ng Nazareno, at sa nalalapit na pagdating ni Pope Francis sa bansa, he said.
Ejercito said the increase would not have been questionable if the MRT and LRT services
were as good as the services of trains in Singapore and Hong Kong, which are being enjoyed
by Filipino workers there.
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/662317/senators-back-petition-against-lrt-mrt-farehike#ixzz3OQS93HBs
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Youths hold selfie protest vs. MRT, LRT fare hike

January 4, 2015 12:27pm
110 19 0 228

Tags: Department of Transportation and Communication

Some youths on Sunday held a so-called selfie protest against the fare hike for the
Light and Metro Rail Transit systems.
Sunday was the first day the fare hikes went into effect.
Protesters posed in front of LRT and MRT stations holding messages denouncing the
fare increase.
The Department of Transportation and Communications also posted online the new
fare matrices for the LRT Lines 1 and 2 and for the MRT.

The new base fare will be P11 from the current P10 with P1 per additional kilometer.
DOTC Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya said the increased rates will bring improved
services on the MRT and LRT lines.
LRT Line 1 links Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran, while Line 2 links CM
Recto to Santolan. MRT links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay
City via EDSA. Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

2 more petitions filed against LRT, MRT fare

increase
by Rey G. Panaligan
January 7, 2015 (updated)

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Opposition to the fare increase implemented by the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail
Transit (MRT) continues to mount.
Yesterday, two more petitions against the fare increase, implemented by the government last
Sunday, were filed with the Supreme Court by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares and
the United Filipino Consumers and Commuters, Inc. (UFCC).
Like the first two petitions, the new cases pleaded for the issuance of an injunctive relief that
would restore the fares in LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3 to the levels prior to January 4.
The first two petitions were filed last Monday by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) led
by its secretary-general Renato Reyes and by former Iloilo Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr.
Also challenged in the new petitions was Department Order No. 2014-014 dated December 18,
2014 issued by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), which provided
the distance-based fare scheme using the R11 base fare plus an additional R1 per kilometer
thereafter in accordance with the board resolution of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA)
with concurrence of the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the
recommendation of the MRT 3 Office.
NO NEED FOR FARE HIKE
Malacaang is taking the people for a ride because there is no need to increase fares. Annual
MRT and LRT revenues outstrip operation expense so it is deceptive for government to insist that
it is losing, Colmenares said in his petition.

He said that the MRT earned R2.2 billion ticket sales and only spent R1.8 billion in operational
expense last year, while LRT earned R2.5 billion but only spent R1.03 billion.
Even if it is losing, it is the governments task to fund mass transport. The fare hike is beyond
doubt unjustifiable because up till now the DOTC has yet to account for the more than R120.7
billion it has spent on the MRT for the past 10 years, he pointed out.
Worse, with all the funds spent the MRT service is very dismal and still deteriorating, he
added.
For its part, UFCC told the SC that the DOTC acted with grave abuse of discretion amounting to
lack or excess of jurisdiction, when it approved the imposition of the new fare increases which it
branded as arbitrary, unreasonable, and unconstitutional.
Not a single public hearing or proper discussion was made by herein respondents, that would
show the justification, reasoning or proper computation for such abrupt and huge fare increases,
it said.
Respondents did not even bother to explain to the riding public the rationale and the basis why
they should pay such amount for creaking dangerous trains, that was recently derailed causing
injuries and moral shock to several passengers, it added.
Citing examples of the increased rates, all the petitions stated that an MRT 3 trip from North
Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Manila now costs R28 from the original R15; an LRT 1
trip from Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran in Paraaque City is now R30 from R20;
and an LRT 2 trip from C.M. Recto in Manila to Santolan Road in Pasig City is now R25 from
the original R15.
The SC justices are still on recess until January 9. But the rules provide that Chief Justice Maria
Lourdes P. A. Sereno can act on any urgent petition subject to confirmation by majority of the
justices in their immediately following full court session.
Full court sessions in the SC resume on January 13.

SC asked to stop MRT-LRT fare hike

By Edu Punay (The Philippine Star) | Updated January 6, 2015 - 12:00am
2 86 googleplus1 0

A resident checks the reading from rows of water meters at a compound in Teachers
Village, Quezon City yesterday. Aside from higher MRT-LRT fares, residents of Metro
Manila will soon also have to pay more for their water. BOY SANTOS

MANILA, Philippines - Two separate Supreme Court cases greeted the implementation of the
fare increases in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) on the first working
day of the year yesterday.
In separate petitions, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and former Iloilo congressman
Augusto Syjuco asked the high court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a status quo
ante order stopping the fare adjustments, which began last Sunday.
The petitioners also urged the SC to void a Department of Transportation and Communications
(DOTC) order last month allowing the increases.
The two petitioners shared the position that the fare hikes would only benefit the private firms
operating the lines and that the move was a violation of the constitutional right to due process of
millions of mass transit commuters.

Members of militant groups on Sunday launched mass actions at some MRT and LRT stations to
protest the fare hikes.
The LRT/MRT cannot claim such increases as a matter of right, and the DOTC, or any agency
for that matter, cannot grant such increase ex-parte, because any such increase should be based
on reasonable grounds to be determined in a quasi-judicial proceeding, Bayans 58-page
petition read.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

The secretary of the DOTC simply does not have any conferred authority and there is no
available procedure within the DOTC to properly consider the propriety of a fare rate increase
for the LRT/MRT, Bayan said.
Bayan also assailed the lack of publication of the rate increase, a procedure required by law.
Bayan stressed the DOTC has no authority nor jurisdiction to resolve the fare
adjustment/increases of LRT and MRT, especially since both the LRT and MRT are public
services and must be subject to regulation, and their fare rate may not be adjusted unilaterally.
The militant group emphasized only the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
(LTFRB) is empowered to decide on fare issues.
The group, through its secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., called the fare hike unjust and
unreasonable and patently anti-commuter.
In his petition, Syjuco pointed out that the DOTC approved the fare adjustment even without the
private operators asking for it.
It is irregular for DOTC to grant these private concessionaires these fare hikes, even without
their actually applying for a fare hike, and even without a hearing where they should have
presented the bases on why they deserve a fare hike, and the extent of the fare increase, he said.
Syjuco also argued that the LRT and MRT are a public utility and should be subject to public
regulation.
He argued that no public consultation was made before the fare hike, noting that the Dec. 12
consultation conducted by the DOTC was a presentation of the new fare matrix.
Given the public interest involved, as spelled by millions of our citizenry availing of the service
of our rail transit, proper public hearing should have been undertaken by DOTC before willynilly approving the fare increase scheme, Syjuco said in his petition.

Named respondents in both petitions were DOTC Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya, MRT 3 Office
officer-in-charge Renato San Jose, LRT Authority administrator Honorito Chaneco, MRT Corp.
and Light Rail Manila Consortium of Ayala and Metro Pacific.
While the SC was still on holiday recess when the petitions were filed, rules allow the Chief
Justice to act on urgent petitions and issue relief like TRO or SQA subject to consultation with
other justices and affirmation upon resumption of session on Jan. 13.
The DOTC allowed an increase in base fare of P11 for both the LRT and MRT for the first four
kilometer, starting Jan. 4, with an additional P1 charge for every kilometer.
Solons vs fare hike
At the House of Representatives, lawmakers asked Malacaang to rescind the fare hikes ahead of
a congressional inquiry into the issue beginning Thursday.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello and Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, in separate
statements, said the adjustments would be a big burden to LRT and MRT commuters, most of
whom belong to the middle- and low-income groups.
Bello said the administration is faithfully performing its contractual obligations to private sector
players, but is not living up to its social contract to provide inexpensive, adequate and safe public
services to the people.
With inflation eating at their incomes and some 26-28 per cent of people remaining under the
poverty line, the 100 per cent fare increase will mean less to spend for food and shelter for the
average urban family, he said.
Ridon said higher train fares will directly translate to less food on the table for millions of
households.
Above-inflation train fare hikes will eat up a significant chunk of a typical Filipino familys
daily budget, quickly leading to a hard-felt domestic crisis in thousands of homes, he said.
The two lawmakers noted that even the DOTC had admitted that proceeds from the fare
increases would not go to the improvement of train services and facilities but to pay off debts.
Bello also said Abaya should not rail against proposals for government subsidies for the LRT and
MRT.
Perhaps he should be faulting the Bureau of Internal Revenue for being ineffective in collecting
taxes from the rich and the Department of the Budget for the wrong priorities in budgetary
management, he said.

With tax revenues coming to only 15 to 17 per cent of GDP the lowest in Southeast Asia we
urgently need reform in the formulation, legislation and implementation of tax policies, he
added.
Ridon, who is a member of the House committee on transportation, said that for minimum wage
earners to cope with the fare increase, they must work at least one hour more each day.
A minimum wage earner who rides the whole stretch of the MRT or the LRT everyday needs to
shell out about P30 more for roundtrip train tickets under the new rates. President Aquino and his
Cabinet might sneer at this amount, but our policy-makers must understand that that amount is
almost equivalent to an hours worth of work, he said.
Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, for his part, renewed his appeal to the DOTC for staggered
increases in fares.
No transparency
Senate Committee on Finance chairman Francis Escudero, for his part, criticized the DOTC for
its lack of transparency in implementing the fare hike.
Escudero noted that the DOTC never mentioned anything about the planned fare increase during
the hearings of the chamber on this years national budget even though the issues surrounding the
MRT-3, LRT-1 and LRT-2 were discussed.
He said that the Senate would have not approved the 2015 budget request of the DOTC had it
known that the department would implement fare increases in the mass transit systems.
They asked for budget allocation from Congress and said that was what they needed. We gave it
to them already, but they did not even inform us that there would be an increase. Had we known
that there will be a fare hike, we could have given them a smaller amount from the 2015 budget,
he said.
The reason why this fare increase is such a burden is because the service is not improving. We
already allocated money for the MRT rehabilitation and improvement for 2015, he said. There
is enough funding. We dont need the money from the fare hike in order to improve MRT3, he
added.
He also chided the DOTC for citing a 2011 hearing on the fare hike issue as proof of the
departments compliance with rules.
If that is their basis for the hike this 2015, I think that is not fair. They will implement the fare
hike four years after the public hearing and they will tell us that that is the public hearing as
required by law? I certainly disagree with that logic, he said.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, for his part, said there was an apparent attempt to mislead the public
when the government imposed the MRT/LRT fare hike during the holiday season and just days
before the Feast of the Black Nazarene and the visit of Pope Francis.
In a statement, Ejercito said it was heartless for the administration to impose higher fares
considering that commuters had to bear poor and even unsafe train services.
He said commuters wouldnt mind paying more if the LRT and MRT services are excellent like
those in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Too late
Had the DOTC implemented the planned improvements in the MRT and LRT as scheduled, rate
hikes would not have been necessary, Sen. Nancy Binay said.
She said the P4.5 billion earmarked for the purchase of additional coaches for the MRT-3 ended
up instead in other projects under the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
In 2012, the DOTC surrendered P4.5 billion allocated for purchasing additional cars for the
MRT3 to the DAP. Now, the commuters are aghast because the funds that should have been used
for the improvement of the service of the MRT are gone, Binay said.
If the P4.5 billion was used properly by the DOTC and resulted in the purchase of new trains
then most likely there would be no fare increase for the MRT and LRT, she added.
Binay also questioned the timing of the fare increase, considering that the approved national
budget for this year contained allocations for the improvement of Metro Manilas mass transit
systems.
The recently approved 2015 General Appropriations Act already has a budget of P10.6 billion to
improve the countrys railway systems, including the rehabilitation of LRT Lines 1 and 2 and
subsidies to MRT, Binay said.
She added that the recently approved P22.5-billion supplemental budget also includes P2 billion
for the rehabilitation and capacity extension of the MRT and LRT.
Protests continue
In anticipation of protest actions, the Eastern Police District deployed anti-riot policemen outside
the DOTC head office in Mandaluyong.
There are technicalities and requirements that the DOTC failed to comply with in announcing
the fare hike, Train Riders Network spokesman James Relativo said. He said the public cannot

be faulted for doubting governments assurance that the fare hikes would result in better MRT
and LRT services.
We have seen and tested this time and time again the fare increase wouldnt ensure better
services, he said.
The mass railway systems direction of privatization has incurred so much debt that the chunk
of government subsidy is actually going to the private sector, and not to actual maintenance, he
added.
A group opposed to the fare increase has also launched a selfie protest against the fare
increase.
The selfie protest is just the online aspect of the massive disapproval of the Filipino people
against this anti-people policy being implemented for the benefit of private companies,
#StrikeTheHike Network spokesman Mark Louie Aquino said.
Not even a single centavo of increase for the MRT and LRT is unjustifiable as its service to the
riding public remains poor, he added.
Make them pay
For a coalition of labor groups, the government should have gone after private contractors that
messed up the operations of the MRT instead of penalizing commuters with higher fares.
Liabilities borne out of an onerous contract should not be passed on to consumers, penalizing
them in effect as in the case of the Build-Lease-Transfer (BLT) contract with the Metro Rail
Transit Corporation (MRTC) that built the MRT3 in 1997, Gerry Rivera of the Philippine
Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Partido Manggagawa (PM) said.
He said adjusting fares is tantamount to rewarding private concessionaires with steady flow of
income from the fare hike shouldered by lowly-paid workers.
Rivera noted that with the new rates, ordinary workers who take the MRT would have to shell
out at least P8,000 yearly to cover the fare hike.
Josua Mata, secretary general of Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa, said the government
should rescind its contract with the train systems operators and take over operations.
When the government takes money from commuters through a fare hike and transfers that
money to fraudulent hands of private companies, that is not subsidy. Thats malady, he said.
Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, Sheila Crisostomo, Janvic Mateo, Non
Alquitran, Rhodina Villanueva

For the record: Presidential Spokesperson on the MRT and LRT fare increase
Posted on January 6, 2015

From the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson

This is to clarify the governments position on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail
Transit (LRT) fare increase as discussed by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a press
briefing held on January 5, 2015.
____________________
On the petitions filed against commuter groups against the fare increase

Secretary Lacierda: Well, that is the right of the [citizen] those who filed the petition to
question the rate hike Matagal na po itong [increase in fares] dapat ginawa. Iilang hearings na
rin ang nagawa natin noon pa There are two concernsconcern ng service at saka yung
concern to the need to rehabilitate the MRT service. And thats why we are doing that with the
2015 budget.
On statements that the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)
did not mention the fare increase during budget deliberations

Secretary Lacierda: This is not the first time that we have already publicly manifested the
intention to raise the MRT rates. In fact, the State of the Nation Address of the President [last
2013] already mentioned why we needed to increase the MRT rates at the same time allocate
resources to areas and other regions, which do not benefit from the MRT service.
Tingnan po natin kung ano ang kinahantungan ng pag-ipit sa pagtataas ng pasahe sa LRT at
MRT. Ang tinatayang gastos sa bawat biyahe ng pasahero ng LRT, 40 piso. Ang bayad ng
pasahero, 15 piso. Ibig sabihin, sagot ng pamahalaan ang natitirang 25 piso. Sa MRT po, 60
piso ang totoong gastos: 15 piso sa pasahero, 45 piso sa gobyernosa huli, bawat Pilipino,
abunado. Nasa Mindanao ka o Visayas ka man, na ni minsan ay hindi nakatuntong sa LRT o
MRT, kasama ka sa pumapasan nito.
Ang masaklap pa nga po: Dahil ipinamigay na ng nakaraang mga pinuno ang commercial
development rights natin dito, bawat pisong maaaring makalap mula sa mga poster at billboard
na nakapaskil sa stasyon o sa tren man, napupunta sa pribadong kumpanya kaysa sa gobyerno.
Ang puwede sanang pagkunan ng pantustos sa maintenance at operasyon, nawala pa.
Siguro naman po, makatuwirang ilapit man lang natin sa ibinabayad sa aircon bus ang pasahe
ng LRT at MRT, upang maituon ang subsidiya sa iba pang serbisyong panlipunan.
- President Benigno S. Aquino III, SONA 2013

On the various rehabilitation projects for the MRT and lessening government
subsidy

Secretary Lacierda: We are improving the service Last year ang MRT rehab budget was
P1.2 [billion]. This year, it was P2.5 [billion]. Just to give you a number of rehabilitation
improvements that we are doing for MRT We are acquiring 48 new train cars or light rail
vehicles (LRVs). We are upgrading the signaling system. Iyong train general overhauling
gagawin din natin yan this will involve the repair of 25 LRVs. Pagkatapos iyong sinasabing
overhauling of traction, iyong papalitan yung mga train engine motors. Maliban doon papalitan
din natin yung supply and delivery of rails. Ang gagawin natin, we are going to replace the 500
pieces of old rail tracks.
We are not saying we are taking out the entire subsidy. Let me be clear with that. From P12
billion, we are lessening that subsidy to P10 billion. So of those P2 billion that we can save, we
are going to allocate the resources outside of [Metro Manila]in other areas like Visayas and
Mindanao.
We are looking at the bigger picture. As government, may responsibility tayo outside Metro
Manila Iyon po ang naging reason kung bakit niliit natin ang subsidy ngayon at para gamitin
sa ibang rehiyon ng ating bansa.
On the new MRT rate

Secretary Lacierda: Iyong MRT new rate natin is P28; ang regular bus P32; ang bus na aircon
P37 Sa yung FX na UV FX P40. Ang itinaas lang ng ating MRT is P28. Now, yung P28
yung buong leg nung buong train, from corner to corner Kung sasakay ka sa Quezon Ave at
bababa ka sa dalawang station lang, hindi naman buong P28 ang babayaran mo.
if you compare it with the other modes of transportation, it is still lower [than taking] the bus,
aircon or regular.
On clarifying the rumor that the DOTC needs to take out loans for MRT
rehabilitation projects

Secretary Lacierda: Tinanong ko kay [Transportation] Secretary Jun Abaya, wala siyang
sinabing ganoon Sinabi niya: I didnt say that. Not sure where it came from.
On the governments commitment to improve and rehabilitate the MRT

Secretary Lacierda: the MRT riding passengers, may perhaps be unhappy with [the fare
increase]. But we can assure the MRT riding passengers that rehabilitation is forthcoming;
rehabilitation has been planned this year. Were going to improve the services of the MRT.
As to the rest of the country, what we are able to get from the subsidy originally taken from MRT
would be used now for the development of the other regions, for the development of new
projects that are worthwhile to the rest of the country and to all Filipinos, maybe perhaps also in
Metro Manila this is not a popular decision insofar as the MRT riding passengers are
concerned, but we are doing this because this is the right thing to do.

We have to rehabilitate the entire system. Thats why theres a timeline that is provided for all
the rehab thats going to [be done]. Were going to do it this year. Were gonna start it. Some of
them will happen, will be finished next year. But the commitment of this administration is were
going to improve the service of the MRT.
Its the same thing that [we] did with roads when we started with this administration. Its the
same thing we did with reforming the procurement process. Weve handled all the concerns and
we have the will to do, finish and dodo and finish what were set out to do.
Ito pong sa MRT is no different. Its a concern for MRT riding passengers; its a concern that
there are concerns with the service thats being rendered. But were gonna improve that service.
Were gonna do it by physically improving and renovating the MRT line and thats a
commitment from us.

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers welcomed the proposed House committee investigation on

the fare hike in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
Bayan Muna Reps. Neri Colmenares and Isagani Zarate filed House Resolution 111 which seeks
to probe the proposed fare hikes.
Colmenares said the argument that people in Visayas and Mindanao are subsidizing public funds
through the LRT and MRT is a short sighted tactic of Palace policymakers.
He added that Visayas and Mindanao residents are open to using the Malampaya funds for the
president's emergency powers and the Interruptible Load Program even if it will be only used in
Luzon.
I just hope that Chairman Cesar Sarmiento, being an official of the Liberal Party would not
affect his analysis and judgment of the MRT/LRT fare hike issue. I also hope that the hearing
would not just be used by administration allies as a venue to justify the fare hike, Colmenares
said in a statement.
Colmenares earlier criticized the Department of Transportation and Communication for its
"deviousness" in imposing fare hikes.
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

READ: Lawmaker slams DOTC for LRT, MRT fare hike

On the other hand, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III denounced the fare increase.
"This is ironic and totally out of whack, the DOTC cannot even make the MRT and LRT run
efficiently and safely. Much more it is mired graft and corruption issues and charges worth
billions of pesos hounding the DOTC over the MRT, Albano said in a television interview.
Albano, a member of the the Minority Bloc of the House Committee on Transportation, said that
thne government does not have justifiable reasons to increase the fare in the train systems.
"Yet from out of nowhere, like despots and modern-day bureaucratic bullies to President
Aquino's avowed bosses, they slap totally unconscionable, arbitrary, unjustifiable rate increases
to all hapless and helpless MRT-LRT commuters," Albano added.
The proposed fare increase for the LRT and MRT is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 4, 2015.
A commuters' group called for the resignation of DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for his
pronouncements on the LRT and MRT fare hike.