Cavite 2nd district Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla has hailed the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) move of providing new fare discounts to students riding the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

“This is a welcome development, especially for students who rely on public transportation every day to get to school. Alam nating malaki ang gastusin sa pag-aaral (We know that education entails huge costs), so any help to ease this burden will be beneficial to learners and their families,” said the recently reelected lawmaker.

DOTr recently rolled out an enhanced discount program for students riding the MRT, which increased the student fare discount to 50 percent on Metro Manila’s LRT (Light Rail Transit)-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 transportation systems.

Mercado-Revilla say the move aligns with broader efforts to address issues in the education sector.

“For our part as legislators, it is our responsibility to ensure that our learners have access to quality education. One concrete way to achieve this is through the legislation of public schools,” she said.

She explained that when schools are legislated, they gain fiscal autonomy—enabling them to hire their own staff, acquire their own properties, and receive direct funding through the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

This upgrades the institution's capacity to operate independently and sustainably, ensuring better service for its students.