US EditionPhilippines' Marcos Puts Brakes on Transport Fare Hike
President Marcos deferred fare hikes to ease commuter burden amid rising oil prices and ordered toll and rail discounts with fuel subsidies for transport workers, officials said.
- On March 18, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of looming fare hikes and asked the DOTr to defer them on March 18, 2026.
- Because oil costs jumped, officials had approved an across-the-board fare hike after the Iran-Israel war, and the transportation regulator announced jeepney fares would rise about 8% on Tuesday.
- Relief measures include free rides nationwide and discounts for MRT and LRT lines and toll roads, while the government allowed airlines to apply higher surcharge rates with airfares expected to rise.
- Commuters across the Philippines will avoid immediate hikes, as the government expedites fuel subsidies and toll and rail discounts, shifting costs onto public coffers.
- Marcos cited the ongoing Middle East war when he said on March 17 that now was not the time to raise fares, noting prior measures for civil servants and tricycle drivers.
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Channel News Asia
The Peninsula QatarPhilippines' Marcos puts brakes on transport fare hike
MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Wednesday (Mar 18) put the brakes on a public transportation fare hike announced just a day earlier, promising the country's commuters free rides instead.The ar
Marcos suspends fare hike nationwide
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, March 18, suspended the planned fare hike for public transportation, citing economic strain from the conflict in the Middle East....Keep on reading: WATCH: Marcos suspends fare hike nationwide
Marcos orders suspension of new fare hikes for public transport
(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ordered the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to suspend the implementation of the new round of fare hikes amid the skyrocketing prices of petroleum products and other commodities caused by the war in the Middle East. In a video message, Marcos acknowledged the hardships the public was already going through due to the volatile situations outside the country and reassured
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