Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11314)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11314 is the "Student Fare Discount Act."
The Act seeks to fulfill the mandates of Section 1, Article XIV, of the 1987 Constitution which states that the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. It also aligns with Paragraph 3, Section 2 of the same Article directing the State to establish a system of scholarships, student loans, subsidies, and other incentives for deserving students.
A 'Student' refers to any Filipino citizen currently enrolled in a duly authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, or higher education institution. It excludes those enrolled in postgraduate degree courses and informal short-term courses like dancing, swimming, music, driving lessons, and seminar-type courses.
'Public transportation utilities' refer to all Philippine common carriers engaged in the business of carrying or transporting passengers or goods by land, sea/water, or air, for compensation, offering their services to the public.
The Act covers all public transportation utilities, including public utility buses (PUBs), public utility jeepneys (PUJs), taxis and other similar vehicles-for-hire, tricycles, passenger trains, aircrafts, and marine vessels. It does not cover school service, shuttle service, tourist service, or other contract/charter services with valid permits from the LTFRB.
Students are entitled to a 20% discount on domestic regular fares upon presenting a valid school ID or validated enrollment form plus a government-issued ID. For air transportation, the discount applies only to the base fare or ticket price before taxes and ancillary costs.
No. The privileges shall not be claimed if the student can claim a higher discount under other laws, existing discounts granted by the public transportation utility, or in combination with other incentive programs.
Penalties vary by transport mode but include suspension of driver's license, fines ranging from PHP 1,000 to PHP 150,000, impounding of vehicles, and cancellation or revocation of Certificates of Public Convenience (CPC), permits, franchises, or licenses for repeated offenses.
Complaints may be filed with: the LTFRB for land transportation utilities (except tricycles), MARINA for sea/water transport, CAB for air transport, Department of Transportation Legal Service for rail transport, and the local Chief Executive for tricycles.
Persons who use falsified identification documents or misrepresent themselves to avail of the privileges shall be denied the discount and may face civil and penal liabilities under the law.
Yes. Public transportation utility operators may claim the cost of the student fare discount as a tax deduction from gross income for the taxable year in which the discount was granted. Additional relief, such as exemptions or reductions of regulatory fees, may also be provided under the implementing rules and regulations.
The Act took effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.