MAKABAYAN President Liza Maza criticized the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for approving another round of fare hikes for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), set to take effect on April 2.
Maza accused the government of prioritizing big businesses over the welfare of ordinary Filipinos, particularly wage earners and students who make up most of the 370,000 daily LRT-1 commuters.
“The fare hike is another burden on the public while benefiting only billionaire investors behind LRT-1,” Maza said.
This marks the second fare increase under Marcos Jr.’s administration. When he took office, LRT-1 fares ranged from P15 to P30 for single-journey tickets (SJT) and P12 to P30 for stored-value cards (SVC). After two hikes in less than two years, fares have now surged to P20 to P55 for SJT and P16 to P52 for SVC.
Despite rising costs, Maza pointed out that LRT-1 still lacks full system reliability under its privatized operations.
“Marcos always prioritizes big businesses, including foreign investors, over ordinary commuters who keep the economy running,” she said.
LRT-1 is operated by the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), controlled by business tycoons affiliated with the Ayala and Pangilinan groups. The company’s foreign partners include Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. and Australian investment firm Macquarie.
Maza argued that the fare hike highlights deeper issues with privatized mass transportation, calling for government investment in a “reliable, efficient, and affordable” public transit system.
She urged commuters, workers, and students to oppose the increase and push for the reversal of railway privatization.
“We will fight this fare hike. Public transportation is a basic service and a right, not a business,” Maza said. (PR)
