Palace: No fare hike for now

MANILA, Philippines - The Marcos administration is not yet inclined to increase public transport fares despite the latest surge in fuel prices triggered by the volatile situation in the Middle East.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) hopes a fare hike would be the "last resort" as the government maximizes subsidies and other measures to cushion drivers and commuters from rising fuel costs.

"The government is exhausting every measure it can implement to help our drivers and the transport sector so that the burden will not be passed on to commuters. We hope the increasing fares will be our last resort," Castro said, quoting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, in a media briefing yesterday.

"The initiatives of the DOTr to reduce the impact of higher oil prices like fuel discount and free toll for buses will continue," she added.