MRT, LRT to offer free rides on Independence Day

Major railway services in Metro Manila will be offering free rides during peak travel hours on Wednesday, in celebration of the 126th Philippine Independence Day.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 announced that they will be offering free rides to passengers from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

"Ang Libreng Sakay ay simpleng paraan ng DOTr at MRT-3 upang gunitain ang Araw ng Kalayaan, na isang napakahalagang okasyon sa ating pagkabansa. Ito rin po ay isang paalala at panawagan sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy na pangalagaan at ipagtanggol ang ating kalayaan na pinag-alayan ng buhay ng ating mga bayani," said DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways at MRT-3 Officer-in-Charge Jorjette B. Aquino.

(The free rides are the DOTr and MRT 3’s simple way of greeting Independence Day, which is a very important occasion in our country. This is also a reminder and a call for our citizens to continue caring for and defending our freedom that our heroes sacrificed their lives for)

The Light Rail Manila Corporation also announced free rides for LRT 1 passengers from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

“Magpapatupad ng normal holiday schedule ang LRT 1 na bibiyahe ang unang tren mula Baclaran at Fernando Poe Jr. stations ng 5:00 AM at ang huling biyahe ng tren naman ay 9:30 PM mula Baclaran Station at 9:45 PM mula Fernando Poe Jr. Station,” the statement read.

(A normal holiday schedule will be implemented for LRT-1, whose first train from Baclaran and Fernando Poe Jr. stations will depart at 5 a.m., while the last train will depart from Baclaran Station at 9:30 p.m. and at 9:45 p.m. from Fernando Poe Jr. Station)

The Light Rail Transit Authority also announced that the LRT-2 will offer free rides for passengers from 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Ito pong libreng sakay natin ay taunang aktibidad ng pamunuan ng LRTA bilang pakikiisa sa pagdiriwang ng Araw ng Kalayaan… Nawa’y sa pamamagitan ng libreng sakay ay manatiling buhay sa mga Pilipinong pasahero ang tunay na diwa ng pagdiriwang ng Araw ng Kalayaan para sa isang Bagong Pilipinas,” said LRTA Administrator Attorney Hernando Cabrera.

(Our free rides are an annual activity conducted by the management of LRTA to celebrate Independence Day… Hopefully, through the free rides, the true essence of the Independence Day will remain in our Filipino passengers for a Bagong Pilipinas) — Jiselle Anne Casucian/RSJ, GMA Integrated News