HRT
r0n SI ultEllTs
Holiday, weekend priuilege s00n a law
By Madon
Purilicacion
GIVING 20 percent fare
discounts to sludents
evenduringholidays and
weekends will soon be_
.come a law alier the bi-
cametal conf etence com-
miltee of both the House
of R€plesentatives and
the Senate ratified a The counterpart mea-
measure providing Iorthe
privilege.
The tlvo chamber har-
monized the disagreeing
nrovisions o{ Senate Bill
i.Jo. 1597 and House Bill
8885, or the "Student leire
DiscountAct"before Con-
gress adjouned lastweek.
The measure institu-
tionalizes the grant of 20
percent fare discounts to
students on all land, air
and vr'ater transportatiory
even duringweekends and
holidavs.
tor Bam Aquino,
Sen'a
DrinciDal author oI the
inpasr'rre. said it will
' shergthenthemandatefot
student discounts on
transport fares. The law
will {orce all PUV drivers
to give discormts to stu-
denls 24 / 7.
SBN 1597, contained in
Committee Report 165, is
in substitution of SB Nos.
652, 945 and 7226 au-
lil
thored by Aquino, Sen.
Juan Edgardo "Sonny"
Algara, who sporuored
the measure, and Sen.
Sherwin Gatchalian, re-
spectively. Sen. Francis
Escudero steered ihe pas-
sage of the measure as
chairman of the Senate
Committee on EducatiorL
Afts and Culture.
sure at the House,of Rep-
reser1tatives is authored by
Rep. Alfred Vargas (5th
Diatrict, Quezon City).
Currently, the privi-
lege is being enforced by
the Land Transportation
. Franchishg and Regula-
tory Board (LTFRB)
through a memoraldum
circul;r itissued in Octo-
ber 2017 stating that stu-
{jpnrc are entitied to the
20-percent discoLmt f rom
Monday to Sunday, in-
clud ing summer breaks,
legal and specialholidays
but is not effectively be-
ing enforced and is not
being followed.
Oncethebillisenacted
into law, all Filipino stu-
dents -- from elementary
tocollege, as well as those
enrolled in technical-voca-
tional schools -- would be
entitled to a 20 percent
discount on buses, jeep-
neys, taxis, tricycle, trans-
Dort network vehicle ser-
i'ices orTNVS, MRT, LRT,
as well as airline and Pas-
sengerships.
Specifically e\cluded
are those eruolled in darlc-
ing and driving schools,
shortstem courses of sem-
inar type, and post-gradu-
ate studies (those taking
up medicine, law, master-
al,doctoraldegreesand t}|e
like), the measure stated.
Studentswhowill havel
abroad, either by plane or
passenger ship, f or educa-
tion, training and comPe-
tition shall be eYempt from
the pa)'rnent.of tavel tax
"upon proper showing of
proof ordocunentation of
intended purpose," the
measure also stated.
Students who will be
refused the privilege may
file their complaints with
the I-TFRB for land trans-
portation utilities; Mari-
hme Industry Authority
(for sea/water kanspor-
tation utilities); and Civil
Aeronautics Board (for air
transpoftation utilities).
Failure to plovide the
fare discount is a flaIlchise
. violation that carries the
following penalties: a Iine
of P5-000 for the first of-
fense, P10,000 arld their
vehicles impounded for
one month for the second
offense, and P15P00 and
cancellation of franchise or
Certificate of Public Con-
venience for the third of-
fense.
For water traisporta-
a fine ranging
tion utilities,
from P10,000 to P50,000
ard waming for the first
offense; P20,000 to
P60,000 and suspension of
opera hon of the shi p for at
least30d;vsforthesecond
offense; ind P30,000 to
P70,000 and Suspension of
operationof the ship for the
third offerse.
For air transPctrtation
utilities, P50,000 to
P100,000 for the first of-
fense; P100,000 to
P150,000 and a warning
for the second offense; and
P150,000 to P200,000 arld
other sanchons as maybe
determined by the CAB
Jor the third and subse-
quent offenses.
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