KABATAAN Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines, alongside various student councils and organizations, have called for the immediate suspension of the recently approved fare hike for Light Rail Transit Line 1, citing its anti-student and anti-poor impact.

In their Unity Statement of Student Commuters, the groups argued that public transportation should be a guaranteed right, not a commodity subject to profit-driven policies.

“Our right to mobility should not be bound to profit motives,” the statement read.

“We urge the Marcos Jr. administration to suspend the fare hike as part of their duty to protect the interests of the majority,” they added.

The statement emphasized that while the fare hike is being justified as a means to improve service quality, it disproportionately burdens marginalized sectors — especially students and workers who rely on affordable transport.

According to their estimates, the hike could increase a college student’s monthly commuting expenses by up to ₱400, exacerbating the financial strain already caused by rising tuition fees and living costs.

Quoting the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the groups claimed the fare hike undermines the State’s obligation to ensure access to quality education.

“This practically constitutes a violation of the State’s duty to ‘protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels,’” they said.

The students also criticized the 2015 concession agreement between the Light Rail Transit Authority and Light Rail Manila Corporation, which they say locks commuters into a cycle of fare increases every two years.

“This agreement punishes the majority of Metro Manila residents who lack access to efficient, car-centric transport systems and further limits their access to education, healthcare, and other basic services,” the statement said.

The groups demanded the scrapping of the LRTA-LRMC 2015 agreement and called for a shift in policy toward publicly funded and state-operated mass transit systems.

“We must ensure higher state subsidies for public transportation services based on national industrialization,” they urged.

Signatories to the statement include student organizations from the University of the Philippines Diliman, University of the East Caloocan, Philippine Normal University, and other campuses, many of whom have expressed readiness to mobilize further protests if the government fails to act.

The statement concluded with a clear call to action: “The government must reclaim its responsibility to secure affordable, efficient, and quality public transportation for all.”