President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Student Fare Discount Act (R.A. 11314) granting students a 20% fare discount when traveling via PUVs in the country.
Just like with Senior Citizens, students can present their school IDs so they can get a 20% discount on all public utility vehicles.
“A student under this Act shall be entitled to a grant of 20% discount on domestic regular fares, upon personal presentation of their duly-issued school identification cards (IDs) or current validated enrollment form, supported by the prescribed government-issued identification document, subject to an appropriate verification mechanism to be provided in the implementing rules and regulations.”
This discount covers students in elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, and higher education. PUVs include:
- Public Utility Buses
- Public Utility Jeepneys
- Taxis
- Other similar vehicles-for-hire tricycles
- Passenger trains
- Aircraft
- Marine Vessels
Tourist services, school services, or any services covered by contract or charter agreement with a valid franchise or LTFRB permit are not covered in the law. What’s good is that this formalizes that students can use the 20% discount even on weekends and holidays.
PUV drivers that refuse to grant students the discount privilege will face penalties which include:
- Driver’s license suspension
- Fines ranging from PHP 1,000 to PHP 15,000
- Cancelation of certificates of public convenience
The law was signed last April 17, 2019, while the media was only given a copy of the document last July 15, 2019.
Source: Philippine News Agency
