MANILA, Philippines — Railway passengers can save up on their commute come Monday, with the Light Rail Transit-Line 2 and the Metro Rail Transit-Line 3 both announcing free rides for workers and employees in lieu of the International Workers' Day.
Commuters will not pay a centavo during the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7 p.m., according to the two lines.
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"The FREE RIDE is the MRT-3 line's simple gesture to honor all workers who support our nation's economy," said Transport Assistant Secretary for Railways and MRT-3 officer-in-charge Jorjette Aquino in Filipino.
"We hope that this could give them happiness and convenience on their special day."
LIBRENG SAKAY PARA SA MGA MANGGAGAWA ??????????????????????????
Bilang paggunita ng Araw ng Paggawa (Labor Day), ihahandog ng LRTA ang libreng sakay sa LRT-2 sa mga sumusunod na oras:
????????7:00 AM hanggang 9:00 AM
????????5:00 PM hanggang 7:00 PM #DOTrPH#LRTA#LRT2Cares4U#PasaHEROnamanggagagawa pic.twitter.com/GrdEGsiZLM— LRT2 (@OfficialLRTA) April 29, 2023
Passengers who wish to avail of the free rides must present a company ID or a government-issued ID to LRT-2 and MRT-3 security personnel before alighting the train coaches.
However, there are no mention of free rides for students and children. No free rides were announced for the LRT-1 and Philippine National Railways as of press time.
"[This is for p]assengers 18 years old [and] above only," explained the LRT-2.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier declared May 1, 2023 as a regular holiday, with employers legally mandated to pay their workers 100% of their salaries and wages even if they do not show up for work.
Thousands are expected to join the Labor Day protests nationwide on Monday, with many advocating for a P750 wage hike on top of the prevailing minimum wage amid high inflation rates.