Free MRT rides for workers on Labor Day

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino workers from both public and private sectors get free Metro Rail Transit (MRT) rides on Labor Day, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said on Tuesday.

"Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said Labor Day is of national significance, hence, he had directed MRT3 General Manager Attorney Al S. Vitangcol III to ensure that the celebration would be a success," Baldoz said.

The DOTC guidelines said the workers can avail of the free rides during rush hours, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Workers should present company IDs and log their names with the security guard assigned at the service gate before availing of the free ride, it added.

Baldoz said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is still waiting for the response of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Authority if workers can also avail of free LRT rides on labor Day.

“The DOLE celebrates the 2014 Labor Day as a tribute to the nation's workers and to their significant contribution to the country's development and to highlight their achievements as a major socio-economic pillar of Philippine society,” Baldoz said.