The Senate bill that seeks to institutionalize the granting of a 20 percent fare discount to students is set to be approved on third and final reading.
Senate Bill 1597, principally authored and sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, aims to institutionalize and expand the coverage of the student fare discount to include land, air, water and rail transport all year round.
Following its approval on second reading recently, all senators were made co-authors of the measure.
“We thank our colleagues for their overwhelming support. We hope the counterpart bill will also soon be passed by the House of Representatives,” Angara said.
“Even with the free tuition, we need to help families with daily school expenses. Ang matitipid sa pamasahe ay makatutulong para sa iba pang gastusin at pangangailan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” added the vice chairman of the Senate education committee.
Under the bill, all elementary, high school, college and tech-voc students will be entitled to a 20 percent discount on regular domestic travel fares–including jeepneys, buses, UV Express vans, taxis and transport network vehicle services like Grab, MRT, LRT, passenger ships and ferries, and airplanes–upon presentation of their duly issued school ID or current validated enrollment forms.
Under the bill, all elementary, high school, college and tech-voc students will be entitled to a 20 percent discount on regular domestic travel fares upon presentation of their duly issued school ID or current validated enrollment forms.
Such discount will be effective throughout the year including weekends, summer breaks and holidays.
The 20 percent discount will be effective throughout the year including weekends, summer breaks and holidays.
Moreover, Filipino students who will travel abroad for education, training and competition will be exempt from payment of travel tax upon proper showing of proof or documentation of their intended purpose.
Use of double discounts or a combination of the student fare discount with other discount programs will not be allowed.
At present, the student fare discount is only based on a circular issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTRFB), which is subject to change.
“Ang kailangan natin ay batas para masiguro na ang 20 percent discount para sa mga mag-aaral ay mananatili kahit sino pa ang mga nakaupo sa DOTr at LTFRB,” the seasoned legislator pointed out.
Land, water, air and rail transportation operators that refuse to grant the student discount will be penalized with a fine ranging from P5,000 to P200,000.
Laws that granted fare discount to senior citizens and persons with disabilities were authored by Angara’s late father, former Senate President Edgardo Angara. The younger Angara later expanded the coverage of the discount by giving seniors and PWDs a 12 percent VAT exemption.
Aside from fare discount, Angara is also pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 134 which seeks to grant underprivileged students a 5 percent discount on books and school supplies, food establishments, medicines, and on museums, theaters and cultural events.
