Commuter groups on Tuesday stage a rally at the Philippine National Railways (PNR) station in España, Manila to protest the looming P10-15 fare hike on its minimum fare. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Sixty-year-old Hilario Talaid is worried that his minimum wage will no longer be enough for his family’s needs once fares at the Philippine National Railways (PNR) are hiked.
“Mahirap na nga kami tapos tataasan pa nila ang pamasahe. Ano na lang ang maiiwan sa amin, piso?” Talaid told INQUIRER.net.
(We are already poor, yet they still want to burden us by raising the fare. What will we have left, a peso?)
Talaid, a construction worker in Sucat, Parañaque, rides the PNR train at the España station every day.
“Ito na lang ang murang sakayan naming mga mahihirap. Kaya nga sumasakay kami sa train para makatipid, tapos tataasan?” he said.
(This is the cheapest mode of transformation for the poor. We ride the train to save money, but now they want to increase the fare?)
The construction worker said he earns only P450 a day and the looming fare hike would surely be a burden to him.
“Mabigat talaga itong pasanin. Malaking bawas sa amin (This is a big burden for us. This will take a lot off our income), he said.
But Talaid is left with no option. He said he would find cheaper alternatives to go to work every day.
“Mag-bike na lang (I will just ride a bike),” he said.
Hilario Talaid. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net
Talaid is among the thousands of PNR commuters who would have to shoulder additional burden once the P15-fare hike is implemented.
The fare hike would raise the P10 minimum fare to P15, while the P45 maximum fare will be hiked to P60.
On Tuesday, commuter groups staged a rally at the PNR España station to protest the impending fare increase of the national railways.
According to the PNR Board Resolution 094-2014, the minimum fare will increase from P10 to P15.
“In just the span of two months, the Aquino government [has added up] to the already loaded shoulders of the Filipino commuters who are dependent in our train systems,” Gloria Bongon, spokesperson of #StrikeTheHike Network.
“The PNR fare hike will not benefit out riding public but will only serve the best interests of local, big private businesses and giant foreign creditors,” Bongon added.
Using signage at railways, the group urged President Benigno Aquino III to “STOP the P10-15 PNR fare hike, LOOK into the people’s poor conditions and LISTEN to our demand against privatization.”
The group also launched a signature campaign among discontented train commuters against the fare hike.
Bongon said the group is set to hold more signature drives at different train stations in Metro Manila.
“Instead of continuously raising fares, the Aquino government must realize its social obligation to provide easy access, affordability and better services of our mass transport system and at the same time grant the P16,000 national minimum wage to our working people,” Bongon said.
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