Militants ready protests vs 200% MRT fare hike

Militant commuters are preparing protest actions against a 200-percent increase in Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) fares, or from P15 to P44 per passenger. MRT fares are currently being subsidized by the government at a cost of P45 per passenger. Without the subsidy, the MRT fare would then be at P60 person. According to Radio dzBB’s Allan Gatus, the militant group Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (RILES) Network are questioning the government’s plan to cut its subsidies to the MRT, considered a “basic social service." RILES spokesman Samuel Malunes said it is the government’s duty to ensure support for basic social services. He added that the government should review its contract with MRT operators to check for alleged “irregularities" instead of cutting subsidies. Meanwhile, commuters taking the MRT-3 said they are seriously considering taking other forms of public transport should the MRT fare go up to P44 per person. “Siguro kulang sa budget (My budget would not be enough)," said one commuter interviewed by dzBB’s Sam Nielsen. However, others said they would still take the MRT if its facilities, such as the elevators and restrooms, would be kept clean. The possible MRT fare increase was tackled on Monday during the start of the deliberations of the Senate committee on finance on the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for 2011. Last week, the KMU and Anakpawis partylist launched RILES with a signature drive against any fare hike at the MRT Cubao (southbound) station in Quezon City. “MRT, LRT, and train systems in general should be for public service. And they should remain so especially in these times when the public is already burdened so much by rising prices and depressed wages," said Malunes. Malunes was the union president from 1995 to 2000 of the Pinag-isang lakas ng Manggagawa sa Metro-LRT (Piglas-LRT), an organization under the militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). “If the train fare goes up to P25, as the Aquino government says, a minimum wage worker who commutes everyday would already pay at least P50 for transportation. If he spends a meager P50 for lunch and food at work, he will already be spending P100 for a day’s work. That’s already one-fourth of his P404 minimum wage! How will the workers be able to allocate for his family’s food, electric and water bills, education needs, among others?" Malunes said. “Instead of extracting more from our hard-earned money, the government should do the opposite – it should provide more social services, which should include mass transportation through the LRT-MRT," he added. MRT-3 is located along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), one of Metro Manila's main thoroughfares. It has thirteen stations along its 16.95km track. The train passes through the cities of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Quezon City, and San Juan. Opened in 1999, the MRT-3 is operated by a private firm, the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), operating in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreement. –VVP, GMANews.TV