Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (Facebook)

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) should improve their service first before implementing a fare hike.

This was Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte's simple retort to the train lines' administrators--the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC), respectively---as well as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as they justified the planned fare hike early next month.

“Sabi nila, itataas raw yan (fares) para mas lalong ma-maintain ang serbisyo sa train lines (They said they were going to raise the fare so they may further maintain the service of the train lines),” he said during a recent TV-radio interview.

“Eh ako naman kasi, sabi ko, sana pagandahin niyo muna bago i-increase ang pamasahe (As for me, I say, you should improve your service first before increasing the fare)," Villafuerte, majority leader of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), said.

DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino earlier announced that fare adjustments for LRT Lines 1 and 2 would be implemented beginning Aug. 2.

Aquino said that the minimum boarding fee for both rail lines will go up to P13.29 from the current P11, while the per-kilo rate for every additional kilometer (km) will rise to P1.21 from the current P1 per km.

The MRT, which operates in Metro Manila like the two LRT lines, is expected to impose a hike of its own.

“So palagay ko naman na puwede naman pong i-consider ito na i-defer na muna iyon at hanapan ng pondo (So I think the deferment of this hike can be considered while we look for funds)," the former House deputy speaker said.

"Ang point ko lang (My point is)," Villafuerte stressed, "Sana huwag nilang sasabihin na kailangan ang increase dahil matagal nang hindi nag-increase (I hope they won't say that there's a need to increase fare since it's been a long time since the last I increase)."

"Pagandahin muna nila ‘yung serbisyo saka na lang siguro tayo mag increase. I mean, iyan lang po ang apila natin (They should improve their service first before we impose an increase. I mean, that's our appeal),” he noted.

Villafuerte said he is directing his appeal to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista.

"Sa Aug. 2 pa naman, baka sakaling ma-consider pa na wag na munang i-increase. Kasi 20 percent increase din yan eh...Hindi po biro yun (The increase won't happen until Aug. 2, so its deferment could still be considered. It's a 20 percent increase...that's no joke)," he said.