LRT and MRT to give free rides to veterans from April 5 to 11

The Department of Transportation and Communications under Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya will be giving free rides to veterans at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) during the observance of the Philippine Veterans Week from April 5 to 11, 2013.

 

This was announced by DOTC Undersecretary for Operations Eduardo SL Oban in a memorandum dated February 12 to the interagency Technical Working Committee on the 2013 Observance of the Philippine Veterans Week and the 71st Commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan headed by Eduardo G. Batac, Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans and Reserve Affairs of the Department of National Defense.

 

According to the said memorandum, all veterans can avail free rides on both MRT and LRT 

from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. from April 5 to 11, 2013. Veterans who wish to avail of the free ride must show their identification cards issued by the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) upon entrance to MRT and LRT stations. The guards on duty will then list their name in a logbook after which they will be given a boarding pass. Upon their arrival at their destination, they must surrender their boarding pass to be allowed to exit throught the service gater.

 

Veterans are allowed one companion/aide in traveling for free via the LRT or MRT. The 

companion must be identified by the veteran to the guard on duty after which, the companion 

must be able to present a valid ID to avail of the privilege.

 

Atty. Al S. Vitangcol III, General Manager of MRT and Rafael S. Rodriguez, Administrator of 

the LRT, were both directed by Usec. Oban to disseminate information and facilitate the 

proper implementation thereof.

 

In compliance, the LRTA and DOTC-MRT3 have directed all station personnel to assist and 

extend utmost courtesy to veterans and their aides while on the station's premises.

The free ride to veterans, according to Sec. Abaya, is the DOT's modest way of showing 

gratitude to the veterans for their loyal services to the nation. Aside from it, DOT will also be 

providing shuttle buses, coasters and other vehicles for the veterans and their loved ones who would troop to Mt. Samat, Pilar, Bataan for the Araw ng Kagitingan and other venues of the 2013 Philippine Veterans Week observance. 

 

Press release from the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office