Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House BILL No. 7168

Introduced by Representative MICHAEL L. ROMERO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Metro Rail Transit System (MRT Line 3, MRT-3 or Metrostar Express) and the
ight railway Transit System (LRT) is a rapid transit system of the National Capital
Region, Philippines. Although it has the characteristics of light railway, such as
with the type of rolling stock used, it is more parallel to a rapid transit system
owing to its total grade separation and high passenger throughput.

This was envisioned in the 1970s as part of the Metropolitan Manila Strategic
Mass Rail Transit Development Plan, the thirteen-station, 16.9-kilometer (10.5 mi)
line was the second rapid transit line to be built in Metro Manila when it started
full operations in 2000 under a 25-year concession agreement between its
private owners and the government's Department of Transportation.

The railways is owned by the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), a private
company operating in partnership with the DOTr under a Build-Lease-
Transfer agreement. Serving close to 600,000 passengers on a daily basis when
MRTC's maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corp. of Japan, was handling the
maintenance of the system, MRT-3 is the busiest among Metro Manila’s three
rapid transit lines, built with essential standards such as barrier-free access and
the use of magnetic card tickets to better facilitate passenger access, The total
ridership significantly exceeds its built maximum capacity of 350,000 passengers
@ day, with various solutions being proposed or implemented to alleviate
Chronic congestion in addition to the procurement of new rolling stock.


MRT-3 is integrated with the public transit system in Metro Manila, and
Passengers also take various forms of road-based public transport, such
as buses, to and from a station to reach their intended destination. Although the
line is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and travel time, the transportation
system has only been partially successful to expand the capacity of the system
to take up to 1.1 million passengers a day. Expanding the network's capacity to
accommodate the rising number of passengers is currently set on tackling this
problem.

This House Bill seeks to institutionalize and modernize our railway systems, to
Provide the proper fare rates, collection and ticketing schemes.

Thus, the early passage of this bill is earnestly requested.

~ ROMERO Ph.D.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

House Bit. No. 7168

Introduced by Representative MICHAEL L. ROMERO

AN ACT

CREATING THE “METRO RAILWAYS TRANSIT REGULATORY
BOARD” TO PROMOTE THE EXTENSIVE USE OF OUR RAILWAYS
THROUGH A RATIONAL PAYMENT SYSTEM, TO FOSTER AND
IMPOSE THE APPROPRIATE FARE RATES, DEFINING ITS POWERS
AND FUNCTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in

Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. TITLE— This Act shall be known as the “Metro Railways Transit
Regulatory Board Act of 2018."

SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY - it is hereby declared a policy of the

state to protect and ensure the security and welfare of all commuters.

There is hereby created the Metro Railways Transit Regulatory Board that
will oversee, regulate and create an effective control mechanism for all its

commuters.


SECTION 3. POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE REGULATORY BOARD:

a. To create and issue rules, regulations;

b. To oversee that the proper fare rates are being implemented and
circulated;

¢. To prescribe fare rates that shall be collected from the riding
commuters;

d. To foster successive and progressive mechanisms and schemes;

e. To facilitate effective planning towards development; and

f. To promote the imposition of all existing policies, guidelines, penalties

and sanctions.

SECTION 4. TRANSITORY PROVISION — Existing industries, businesses and
offices affected by the implementation of this Act shall be given six (6)
months transitory period from the effectivity of the IRR or such other period
as may be determined, to comply with the requirements of this Act.

SECTION 5. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS — The departments
and agencies charged, to be led by the Department of Transportation
(DOT) with carrying out the provisions of this Act, shall within sixty (60) days
after the effectivity of this Act, formulate the necessary rules and

regulations for its effective implementation.

SECTION 6. REPEALING CLAUSE - All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules
and regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE — If, for any reason, any section or
Provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or
provisions hereof shall not be affected thereby.


SECTION 8. EFFECTIVITY CLAUSE — This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15)
days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)

national newspapers of general circulation whichever comes earlier,

Approved,