METRO PACIFIC TOLLWAYS Corp. (MPTC) has extended its KaBiyahe Rebate Program to additional expressways following a directive from the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to help mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices on the transport sector.
In partnership with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) for Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), MPTC said the program will run from March 23 to May 22.
“The extension supports the government’s call to provide temporary financial relief to the transportation sector,” MPTC said in a statement on Friday last week.
“It aims to stabilize transportation costs for essential goods, support commerce, and economic activity amid rising fuel costs.”
Under the program, MPTC will provide rebates to eligible Class 2 public utility buses (PUBs), modernized jeepneys, and Class 3 vehicles across toll roads operated by North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), SCTEX, and CAVITEX (R1 Expressway and Extension), effectively reverting toll rates to pre-adjustment levels.
The company said Class 3 vehicles qualify if they are valid Easytrip subscribers in good standing, maintain sufficient account balance, and are not enrolled in other MPTC discount programs such as toll exemptions for agricultural trucks.
For PUBs and modernized jeepneys, eligibility requires operators to be accredited by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), enroll in the KaBiyahe program by submitting the required documents, maintain Easytrip prepaid accounts in good standing with sufficient load, and not be enrolled in other toll discount programs on MPTC roads.
Applications for PUBs and modernized jeepneys are open from March 23 to April 5.
MPTC said qualified transport operators with traffic violations or citations during the program period will be disqualified from receiving rebates.
Meanwhile, Class 1 public utility jeepneys (PUJs) on northern routes will continue to be covered by the PASSADA program. For CAVITEX, the Abante program will be reactivated for two months, offering rebates equivalent to the difference between current toll rates and those prior to the latest adjustment.
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), one of the three key Philippine subsidiaries of First Pacific Co. Ltd., alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund’s MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Alexandria Grace C. Magno
