President Marcos said the expanded fare discount for students using Metro Manila's train systems aims to ease the financial burden many of them face during the academic year.

In the second episode of his podcast released on Friday, June 20, the President said he wanted to go beyond the existing 20 percent fare reduction currently mandated by law, just like in other countries.

“Everywhere I go, ang senior at saka student may diskuwento—malaki, 50 percent (Everywhere I go, seniors and students get a discount—a big one, 50 percent),” he said.

“Estudyante, walang pera usually. Yung mga matatanda, kakaunti lang ‘yung hawak nilang pera. So bakit pa natin pagbabayarin (Students usually don’t have money, and seniors have limited resources. So why should we burden them further)?” he added.

The President said young commuters, like the elderly, are among the most vulnerable sectors of society and deserve greater support.

“Kasi those are the sectors of society na hirap sa cash (Because these are the sectors of society struggling with cash),” he said.

The President made the remarks while discussing ongoing reforms to improve public transport, including the recent rollout of the “Family Fare 1+3” program, which allows three family members to ride for free with one paying passenger on Sundays.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Friday that students riding LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 can now enjoy a 50-percent discount, provided they present their valid ID within the current school year. However, the promo is valid only for Single Journey Tickets, not for Beep Cards or Stored Value Tickets.

Meanwhile, President Marcos acknowledged the poor conditions faced by daily train riders and said his administration is pushing both immediate and long-term solutions.

“Naramdaman ko ‘yan minsan… pagka nakapasok ka na, ang kamay mo nandito, hindi mo na magagalaw ‘yon. Tapos nakadikit ka na dito sa mukha] (I’ve experienced that. Once you’re inside, your arm’s stuck, you can’t move it. And your face is pressed up close),” he said.

Marcos said the government is already working to extend train lengths, increase the frequency of trips, and remove bottlenecks like long queues at security checkpoints.

“Those are the things we can do immediately,” he said.

Marcos said ongoing train improvements are part of a broader push for a more inclusive and efficient public transport system. Long-term projects like the Metro Manila Subway and MRT expansions are also underway, with partial operations expected to begin late this year or next.