Vaxxed passengers get free train rides until end of ECQ

MANILA – All Covid-19 vaccinated passengers may avail of free rides aboard the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) starting Tuesday until Aug. 20, 2021, the end of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade gave the order to the three rail services to provide free rides to all authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) who have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

“Upang maka-avail ng libreng pamasahe, kinakailangan lamang na iprisinta ng mga APOR ang kanilang vaccination cards bilang patunay na sila ay nakatanggap na ng bakuna (To avail of the free fare, APORs will only need to present their vaccination card as proof that they have been inoculated),” Tugade said.

He said the Philippine Ports Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Manila International Airport Authority will give out free coffee, water, and snacks to all vaccinated passengers at seaports and airports.

In addition, he said the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) has also agreed to waive the terminal fees it charges to buses that use the land port.

“Ang inisyatibong ito ay napagkasunduan ng buong [DOTr] upang makatulong sa pagpapanatili ng kalusugan at kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan, at upang matulungan ang gobyerno na mahikayat ang ating mga kababayan na magpabakuna (This initiative was a mutual decision of the entire DOTr to help preserve the health and safety of our fellow Filipinos, and to help the government in encouraging the public to get vaccinated),” Tugade said.

Earlier, Malacañang announced the imposition of an ECQ anew in the NCR from Aug. 6 to Aug. 20 to arrest the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.