The Philippine National Railway (PNR) transports daily commuters to and from Manila. It is the most cost-effective and convenient way to get around the country's capital city. Although it does help many, its flaws have been painted in the minds of many since then. Only by riding the train will someone recognize how terrible the country's transportation system is. Every day you will be entrapped in a box with people for an hour of standing travel, and your patience will be tested because train schedules are frequently delayed or not strictly adhered to due to a variety of factors.
These problems that commuters face on a daily basis were given validation after the Philippines was named the world's fifth-worst public transportation system by the think tank Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley. The think tank described Metro Manila’s road network as having poor quality and limited connectivity to the rest of the country. As a response to this, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is building an urban rail transit system called the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR), also known as the Clark-Calamba Railway, which aims to improve connectivity between ever-expanding urban areas.
Even though their project appears to be beneficial for improving the transportation system in the country, it will have a serious impact on commuters. The PNR will suspend train services for at least five years in order to expedite the project’s construction and save P15 billion from it. This is not a problem for those in the office who have their own cars and can easily travel wherever they want. However, for ordinary Filipinos who heavily rely on PNR services, it can be the worst nightmare. The DOTr even admitted that the suspension would affect at least 30,000 passengers.
On the other hand, apart from the suspension of the PNR service, the imminent increase in train fares is another concern for commuters. Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez stated that he hoped to submit his recommendation for the proposed hike, which would raise the base fare from P11 to P13.20 and the per-kilometer fee from P1 to P1.21. And if all goes according to plan, it will involve Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) and Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 (LRT 1 and LRT 2).
In general, DOTr’s proposed measures will be detrimental to commuters. After all, there are a lot of tactical ways to expedite the construction of their new project, but they chose to refute people with an easier and more accessible mode of transportation. Furthermore, why would they agree to raise fares in the face of the country's extremely high inflation rate? Isn't it impractical and merciless to have these goals at a time when everyone appears to be poor?
Every ordinary Filipino family is currently facing a significant challenge, particularly those with large families who send someone to high school or college. Because, in addition to the extreme cost of goods, they are having trouble fitting their small income into their children's allowance, especially now that they are taking face-to-face classes. Additionally, under the DOTr's plan, their daily lives will become even more problematic, specifically for students and workers who must travel by alternative means due to the suspension of the PNR service. Worse, if this occurs, the increase in train fares may cause the country's inflation rate to rise.
Transportation fare increases will likely result in further inflation in other aspects as wage hike demand occurs. If this occurs and is approved by the government, companies will raise the prices of their products to cover the additional labor costs. Therefore, it is safe to say that transportation fares play an important role in determining the market price of necessities, as fare adjustments have a domino effect on commodity pricing. It's not just a financial burden; it's also a threat to the Filipino family's budget, especially now that face-to-face classes are back in full swing and minimum wages are still below the family living wage.
Aside from the aforementioned, there is another level of impact from the impending increase in train fares and the discontinuation of PNR service for students. This plan is a major burden on productivity and time management for students who count on PNR to get to school on time, as well as students on a tight budget who must find a cheaper mode of transportation to get to school.
Consider this: You haven't gotten any sleep because of a mountain of schoolwork, but you have to leave the house four hours before your first class, as opposed to one or two hours before. You may arrive at school on time, but can you be productive? Apparently, no. Do you still have time to rest or do other things? Nothing, obviously. Because you spend nearly half of your day traveling, which is exhausting. According to a study conducted at Clemson University, lateness to class due to transportation and travel-time reliability is significantly associated with GPA, whereas other travel behaviors are found to have little association with GPA.
Alternatively, in a similar situation, you must pay three times your previous fare to get to and from school and home. Knowing that taking the train is the most convenient and fastest way to get to school, if the train fare becomes this expensive, there is a possibility of an increase in absenteeism and tardiness to class as a result of taking a risky route to save money.
As PUPians return to face-to-face classes, we are likely to be one of the victims of this poor management. It's frightening to think that the problem caused by their plan could spread to other major issues that ordinary Filipinos must deal with. Clearly, the government is going about things incorrectly because they are mercilessly attacking poor families who are struggling to survive. But it's even more heartbreaking to think that no one will come to rescue the commuters who were run over.
Graphics: Darren Waminal
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