MANILA – A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Friday called for the implementation of the additional 10-percent fare discount in public utility vehicles, as provided in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
Bagong Henerasyon Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy urged The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to immediately implement the social-mitigating measure to shield the poor from the “inflationary impact” of the TRAIN law.
Under Section 82 of the TRAIN law, minimum-wage earners and the poorest 50 percent of the population are qualified for fare discounts in all public utility vehicles in the amount equivalent to 10 percent of the authorized fare.
“LTFRB and other public transport regulatory agencies must implement this provision of RA (Republic Act) 10963 now so that those who are not covered by the 20 percent discount for seniors, PWDs (persons with disabilities), and students will also be shielded from the inflationary impact of the TRAIN Law,” Herrera-Dy said.
She added that any new fare-setting issuances “should ideally be implemented simultaneously with the 10 percent fare shock absorber.”
The LTFRB on Thursday approved a provisional fare hike of PHP1 for public utility buses amid the recent oil price increases. The decision came a day after the LTFRB has approved a PHP10 minimum jeepney fare, or a PHP2 increase from PHP8 to PHP10.
Herrera-Dy said the government should start preparing the social benefits card for the availment of the fare discount for the 50 percent poorest of the country’s population.
“The Department of Finance and Land Bank of the Philippines should now get started on producing the social benefit cards. The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) should work now on the system and process for issuing the cards to over 50 million people,” Herrera-Dy said.
The lawmaker noted that the mere presentation of the social benefits card should entitle its bearer to 10 percent discount in jeepneys, buses, light rail, and trains. (Filane Mikee Cervantes/PNA)
