MANILA, Philippines—The P7.2-billion subsidy appropriated in the proposed 2011 budget as fare subsidy of riders of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) should instead be used to light up the rural communities that still have no electricity, a lawmaker said Wednesday.
Occidental Mindoro Representative Amelita Villarosa proposed the realignment of the billions in MRT fare subsidy to rural electrification that could benefit some 30,000 sitios (sub-villages) in the country.
“The P7.2 billion is too much to be subsidized by the government,” Villarosa said during deliberations of the budget of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC).
The subsidy to MRT riders is part of the P32-billion proposed budget for the department next year.
While the MRT is getting billions form the budget, some items like the rural electrification is getting zero.
The P2-billion rural electrification project of the National Electrification Administration was thumbed down by Malacanang.
“There are no electrification projects in the 30,000 sitios (sub-villages) all over the country and here comes this MRT subsidy which is servicing only the National Capital Region (NCR) that represents only 11 percent of the total population,” Villarosa lamented.
Transportation Secretary Jose De Jesus said the department can adjust the fare structure so that the subsidy can be reduced, but said it could not be totally removed.
Occidental Mindoro Representative Amelita Villarosa proposed the realignment of the billions in MRT fare subsidy to rural electrification that could benefit some 30,000 sitios (sub-villages) in the country.
“The P7.2 billion is too much to be subsidized by the government,” Villarosa said during deliberations of the budget of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC).
The subsidy to MRT riders is part of the P32-billion proposed budget for the department next year.
While the MRT is getting billions form the budget, some items like the rural electrification is getting zero.
The P2-billion rural electrification project of the National Electrification Administration was thumbed down by Malacanang.
“There are no electrification projects in the 30,000 sitios (sub-villages) all over the country and here comes this MRT subsidy which is servicing only the National Capital Region (NCR) that represents only 11 percent of the total population,” Villarosa lamented.
Transportation Secretary Jose De Jesus said the department can adjust the fare structure so that the subsidy can be reduced, but said it could not be totally removed.
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