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Soon, paying for LRT and MRT fares will be as simple as tapping a credit or debit card, or even a mobile wallet like GCash and PayMaya, directly at the turnstile, the Department of Transportation said.
DOTr announced this significant upgrade on Friday, saying that this will be implemented by July.
“Mga bandang July ito, if I’m not mistaken. I-implement na natin sa MRT at sa ibang mga tren natin. Alam ko pati credit card puwede na. Ita-tap mo na lang ‘yung phone mo. Hindi ka na kailangan bumili ng Beep (card),” Secretary Vince Dizon said.
“Nagtaka nga ako bakit hindi ito kaagad na-implement, ‘yun naman pala kaya iimplement kaagad-agad itong cashless options sa MRT,” he added.
This new "open-loop" system means you won't need to buy or reload a Beep card. Soon, commuters can just tap their EMV-enabled cards or phones at the gates.
Dizon said this is a response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to make public transport more convenient and efficient for Filipinos.
“Nakikita na naman natin ito sa ibang bansa. So, iyon ang sabi ng ating Pangulo, gawin na rin natin ‘yung mga modern facilities sa ibang bansa dito para sa mga kababayan natin,” Dizon stressed.
Before the launch, DOTr will conduct pilot tests and public awareness campaigns to get commuters ready for this new system.
