No Fare Hike for Buses, Ferries This Holy Week

Commuters can expect no increase in ferry and bus fares this Holy Week, as transport operators have committed to keeping rates unchanged despite rising fuel prices, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

“We’ve gotten commitments from (operators of) ferries that they will not raise their fares. We’re doing the same thing with buses. They will not raise their fares nor will they limit or cut down the trips they will be taking,” Marcos said.

The President added that the government is prioritizing support for commuters and workers amid global oil price pressures. “We’re doing everything we can so the riding public, the general public, the people who are working, the middle class – they are the ones we are most concerned about – so it does not become a drag to their livelihoods,” he said.

To help cushion the impact of higher fuel costs, the government continues to roll out fuel subsidies and cash assistance for transport workers and operators.

“In the next two days, we’re going to be spending about P2.5 billion in fuel subsidies. We have planned four of those rounds of subsidies,” Marcos said.

Despite this, some transport groups have reported reduced operations due to fuel supply concerns, with around 40 percent of provincial bus operators scaling back trips, according to industry representatives.

“Our tanks are not full. We are saving our fuel as much as possible,” said Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines executive director Alex Yague.

Meanwhile, authorities have assured the public that transport services will remain available during the Holy Week. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the number coding scheme will be suspended from April 1 to April 6, while provincial buses will be allowed to pass through EDSA during the same period.

MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III confirmed that thousands of personnel will be deployed to major transport hubs and pilgrimage sites to manage expected passenger surges.