Bill proposed to expand student fare discount

The Senate committee on education will be proposing a bill that seeks to expand the coverage of the 20 percent student fare discount to not only include land transportation but also air, water and rail transport.

This developed as the new memorandum issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which entitles students to a 20 percent fare discount all year round including weekends, summer breaks and holidays, took effect yesterday.

"We commend the LTFRB for recognizing the needs of our students. We have long been pushing for the passage of such measure. Nakapaloob din sa ating panukalang batas ang pag-extend ng student fare discount hindi lamang sa araw ng klase. Pero bukod dito, gusto natin na pati MRT, LRT at kahit airfare at boat fare ay sakop ng discount," said Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, one of the authors of proposed Senate Bill 1597 and vice chairman of the education committee.

Angara in a statement said that under the bill, transportation operators who refuse to grant student discounts will be penalized with a fine ranging from P5,000 to P200,000.

The bill added that all students enrolled in basic, secondary and tertiary education institutions, including technical-vocational institutions, will be entitled to a 20 percent discount on regular domestic travel fares upon presentation of their duly issued school IDs or current validated enrollment forms.

However, students taking up post-graduate studies such as medicine, law, masters and doctoral degrees and other short term courses of seminar type will not be qualified to avail the discount.

In addition, Filipino students who will travel abroad for education, training, and competition will be exempt from the payment of travel tax upon proper showing of proof or documentation of intended purpose.

The proposed measure prohibits the availing of double discounts or combinations of the student fare discount with other discount programs.

"Hindi na kailangan pang maghintay ng promo fares ang mga estudyante para makatipid sa pag-uwi sa kani-kanilang mga probinsya. The family can then use the savings from the fare discount for other school fees. Layunin nating pagaanin ang gastusin ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino sa pag-aaral ng kanilang mga anak," said Angara, a known advocate of educational reforms, who is also one of the authors of the Free College Law.