TV Patrol online chatters OK slight MRT fare hike
MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos who participated in TV Patrol’s online chat on Thursday said they favored removal of government subsidy for city trains that would result in higher fares for train riders.
Up to 78 percent voted “Payag ako (I agree)” in the live poll running alongside the chat session in tvpatrol.abs-cbnnews.com, the website of TV Patrol, ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast. The nightly live chat accompanies the free live streaming of TV Patrol newscast to Philippine areas. A total of 834 people read and participated in Thursday’s session.
The voters were responding to the question, “Ayon sa gobyerno, kailangang taasan ang pasahe sa MRT para kung sino na lang iyong gumagamit ng tren ay siya iyong magbayad, at para hindi kailangang pasanin ng taumbayan ang buong halaga ng subsidyo sa pagpapatakbo ng mga tren. Payag ka ba rito?”
The question was based on government’s announcement of its plan to increase the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) fares. Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jose de Jesus has said the government has been losing billions of pesos subsidizing the public's train fares.
To stop the bleeding, government wants to enforce a “users pay” policy, remove the subsidy, and make users pay the actual costs.
Participants in the chat session of tvpatrol.abs-cbnnews.com voiced out readiness to help government and shoulder a portion of the burden. But they also said they wished the fare increase would not be so steep, and that funds would be properly accounted for.
“Huwag naman sana gano’n kalaki. Mga P2 to P5 siguro OK na iyon (I hope the increase is not so big. Maybe P2 to P5 increase is OK),” ‘Jumong’ said.
‘Nathan from Baguio’ said it is unfair for taxpayers to shoulder the subsidy. ‘Mel’ said he agrees with a fare hike as long as the trains are clean and useful.
‘CarlaMNL’ said, “Ngayong nag-explain ‘yung DOTC, na-gets ko naman kung bakit tataas ang LRT. Pero sakit pa din sa bulsa. Makapag-FX na nga lang. (Now that the DOTC has explained, I understand why the LRT fare will go up. But it still hurts the pocket. I will just ride the FX.)”
Others disagreed. ‘Mark,’ for instance, said a fare hike will only be acceptable if workers’ salaries will also be raised.
De Jesus has said the government loses P5 billion to P6 billion a year on subsidies.
On top of that, the government also pays the MRT owners for the maintenance of the railway system.
The MRT is owned by the MRT Corporation. The railway system project was implemented under the government's build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.
De Jesus said the MRT's fare in 1998 or 12 years ago was originally at P30. It was brought down to P15 to make it more affordable for the commuters.
He said that due to several factors, such as inflation, the government is now spending more in subsidies for the MRT and LRT.
Despite this, De Jesus assured that the DOTC is carefully reviewing the proposed fare increase. He said that the main points of the fare hike study are the cost of operations and maintenance, and its affordability to the commuters.
The DOTC chief clarified that the government is not trying to burden to commuters, adding that the public should think long term.
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MRT and LRT Fare Hike
Okay lang po na magtaas ng pamasahe pero mga 2 pesos lang siguro dahil karamihan ng sumasakay diyan ay mga mababa ang sahod at para hindi hirap ang taong bayan. Then iyong ibang pera na kailangan para sa subsidy ng gobyerno ay sa mga senador, congressman at iba pang namumuno sa gobyerno kukunin dahil lahat naman sila ay gustong makatulong sa mga mahihirap. Ngayon na nila mapapatunayan kung gusto nga nilang tumulong.
first things first
complains are good, but pay your fares, the exact amount or you wont get to where you want to go. the bus or train will leave without you. spend that money on fares, not on extra yosi, booze, sine, or galaan. instead of buying that many softdrinks in a day, magba-on ka ng tubig in a bottle. it's cheaper, better and healthier for your kidneys and will not give you kidney stones.
media influence
dati: konting increase lang na balakin ng dating admin bibirahin na ng media at critics. Grabe ang batikos ng mga radio commentator at pagkatapos ma-impluwensyahan ang mga audience eh mag-iinterview ng mga tao para palabasin na "sobra hirap na nga ng buhay eh daragdagan pa ng gov't". Lagi tuloy nauudlot ang pagtaas ng pasahe.
Ngayon: Grabe ang tahimik ng media, di nambabatikos. bagkos tumutulong pa para kumbinsihin ang mga tao na "ok lang na taasan ang pamasahe ng halos doble". Naninisi pa ang bagong admin sa dating administration na "bakit di nila tinaasan ang pamasahe"
Ano ba yan... Sobrang bias na yan.. hehe
Media, binusog sa Greenhills
That's why ABNoy went to dine in with some media people last week in Greenhills for this purpose on a Friday night. The funny part was a comment posted comparing PeeNoy to Ramon Magsaysay for eating with these people instead of spending time to think how to bring food to every Filipino households. In short, publicity lang in the end.
You all want change? Here it
You all want change? Here it is right in front of you! Suck it up and accept it. Why would the government subsidize our transportation in metro while people outside of it are not? Let that 5-6 billion per year be used to help the real poor. My advice, if you dont like the fare, there's always the bus. Who knows you can even get a glance on our president Traversing the roads sharing the traffic with you.
Projected MRT fare hike
Pagbati sa mga taga TV Patrol
Sa SONA ng ating mahal na Pangulong Aquino ay nabanggit nya ang subsidiyang binibigay ng pamahalaan sa operasyon ng MRT sa pamamagitan ng tulong ng LBP at DBP na kung tutuusin ang aktwal na pamasahe ay magkakahalaga na ng P65.00. Nabanggit din sa balita na ang taunang kita ng operasyon ng MRT ay nagkakahalaga ng P1.6 bilyong piso. Hindi pa marahil kasama dito ang kita ng MRT sa “Leased on Commercial spaces” sa kanilang istraktura at ang mga nakadikit na “Advertisement and Billboards” sa kahabaan ng MRT. Kung magagamit pa ng pamunan ng MRT ang mga ibang “assets” nila para maitaas pa nila ang kanilang kita ay mas mainam bago sana tuluyang itaas ang pamasahe. Tandaan po natin na ang MRT at LRT ay isang uri ng Mass Transit System at itong ang naasahan ng karamihan sa Metro Manilans sa nagbabaha at matrapik na mga lansangan.
Magkaganun man kung kailangang magtaas ng singil ng pamasahe sa MRT at LRT ay naway maluwag na matanggap ng mga sambayan
Maraming salamat po.
Ginoong RONILO G. SALUSTIANO
University Research Associate I
College of Engineering Library
UP Diliman, Q.C.
reality-wise.it is indeed
reality-wise.it is indeed unfair for tax payers from all over the country to pay for a transportation system which the only the manileños utilize.
fair hike....
I have a student whose means of transpo from here to their school PWU is through MRT and LRT..and it will hurt our budget if the fare will increase..BUT..as my share of sacrifice..i will be in favor of this.
Actual fare
Since, hindi naman lahat ng pinoy, naranasan ng sumakay ng mrt.
Pero pasanin lahat ng bwat pinoy
Subsidy needs to end.
Government subsidy is a self-defeating system. The fair should reflect the true cost of running both rail systems. It should at least break even. A 6 billion pesos yearly loss adds to the already huge Philippine national debt of 3.8 trillion pesos. Last year, the government paid 50 billion pesos on the interest alone on this debt. No country can sustain adding debts on top of debts without going bankrupt at some point. Once a country is bankrupt, it would be impossible to borrow money from anywhere and foreign investors will likely stay away. In the end the people will suffer even more. There is no doubt that the increase will be difficult for some but we as a people can’t afford to continue this subsidy.