Over 2.8 million enjoy free holiday train rides

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 2,841,788 commuters were transported for free during the “12 Days of Christmas” train rides program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Free rides were given to 1,183,950 passengers at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3, 1,091,951 others at the privately owned Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) and 565,887 more at the LRT 2, the DOTr said.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez called the program a success, saying it fulfilled President Marcos’ objective of giving passengers a safe, comfortable and enjoyable travel experience during the Christmas season.

“This overwhelming response demonstrates the importance of accessible public transportation in the lives of Filipino families, especially during the Christmas season,” Lopez said yesterday.

The free train rides were made available for different groups on the following schedules: senior citizens on Dec. 14, students on Dec. 15, OFWs and their families on Dec. 16, teachers and health workers on Dec. 17, males and persons with disability on Dec. 18, government employees on Dec. 19, females on Dec. 20, families on Dec. 21, solo parents and LGBTQIA+ on Dec. 22, private sector employees and domestic service workers on Dec. 23, uniformed personnel and veterans on Dec. 24 and all commuters on Dec. 25.