Go Around Metro Manila Via LRT-1 ikotMNL

All of us have dream travel whether it’s in another country or out of town. Planning a travel like these costs not only money but time and resources as well. Travelling is not limited for places out of town and other countries where we need to book a flight. There are many places we still need to discover that most Filipinos are not aware of.

 

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In the vicinity of my residential area, stood an artistic landmark of College of St. Benilde’s College of Arts and Design. At night time, you can see the structure lights up the metropolitan area and you can even see it while riding the LRT train near Vito Cruz station.

If you are up for food and history, there is an old establishment in the Sta. Cruz, Manila where our national hero Jose Rizal used to go when he was still studying at Intramuros. Formerly called Toho Antigua Panciteria, the original establishment was burned down in 1984 and was renamed Toho Food Center. It was still operated by the grandchildren of Tai Tang, one of the original five owners and they still serve generations with authentic Cantonese dishes as it was more than a century ago.

If you are looking for entertainment, the Cultural Center of the Philippines is not limiting performing arts to the elite. CCP hold regular festivals some are for free and some are at lower costs. Their Pasinaya Festival is open to public as CCP performing groups and resident groups showcase their craft. Cinemalaya is also the most flocked independent movie festival every year. My mother knows someone who frequently goes back from U.S. just to watch all week during Cinemalaya.

There are more places to discover around Metro Manila and you can do that by foot and commuting. These places can be access by riding the original LRT -1 trains from Baclaran to Roosevelt stations and you can say that you passed five cities in LRT-1 stations.

LRT-1 offers travelers a convenient way to tour Manila by just loading  the Beepcards with Unli-rides for P100 pesos for the whole day.  We should not be strangers in our nation’s capital.  We should get out more and explore. Another tip, the National Museum reopened and it’s just walk away from LRT. LRMC partners with the Department of Tourism, The Old Manila Walks, Tralulu, Walk This Way, Kapitbahayan Sa Kalye Bautista for more tourist destinations along LRT-1 stations.

Understanding the LRT-1 Commuter

Press release

MANILA, Philippines — In the largest transit research on LRT-1 riders done in recent times, marketing agencies PHAR and TNS (part of Kantar Media), interviewed 3,500 LRT-1 commuters in considerable depth.

Results of the survey shed some interesting insights:

• Out of a total of 4.99 million people that comprise the Manila NCR workforce, approximately 500,000 people (10%) ride the LRT-1 on a daily basis.
• The gender split is equal with 49% of commuters being female.
• The average journey time is approximately 42 minutes each way (from arriving at the station, queueing for tickets, riding the train and exiting at destination).
• LRT-1 commuter demographics skew heavily towards 18-29 year olds (59% of commuters). Very significant in comparison to the overall Manila NCR workforce has 30% in the 18-29 year old bracket.
• 88% of commuters are either working professionals or students. Within the working professionals, the average monthly income is 15,000 pesos, and whereas for students the disposable income is 212 pesos per day.
• In terms of device ownership, 97% own a mobile phone, whereas 44% own laptops.

The study also measured high and medium usage categories for these commuters and the brand preferences within the categories revealed interesting insights into purchasing behavior and market share of the top brands in the Philippines. For instance:

Certain categories had clear market leaders like toothpaste (Colgate), bath soap (Safeguard) and softdrinks (Coca Cola). But on the whole, most categories saw close competition between a number of brands fighting for market share and share of voice. These categories include shampoo, canned meat, branded clothing, laundry bars, laundry powder, snacks, chocolate and candies, fruit juices/beverages and cosmetics, amongst others.

Within the services categories, there were clear leaders in certain segments like domestic travel (Cebu Pacific) and cable television (Sky Cable), but in most categories, there was a hard fought contest. These categories include insurance, banking, loan services, and credit cards.

Prem Bhatia, Managing Director of PHAR said, “Transport forms an integral part of the urban landscape and opportunities for brands, basis dwell time and engagement, are immense. The LRT-1 commuters are early jobbers and therefore a perfect audience to develop a brand relationship with. Take financial services for instance – two thirds do not have bank accounts, and 10% have credit cards. The headroom for growth is tremendous.”

LRMC conducts trial run for extended hours in LRT-1

PRESS RELEASE

To serve late night commuters, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) conducts a trial run of extended operating hours for Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT 1) from July 10 until August 9.

 “If the test run will show an interest from the public, then we would be pleased to do a more detailed study to make it permanent,” LRMC President and Chief Executive Officer Jesus Francisco said.

For the duration of the month-long dry run, LRT 1 service hours will be extended for one hour, with northbound trains leaving Baclaran Terminal at 9:40 p.m., 9:50 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and southbound trains leaving Roosevelt Terminal at 10:10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.

On weekends and holidays, northbound trains will leave Baclaran Terminal at 9:10 p.m., 9:20 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. while southbound trains will leave Roosevelt Terminal at 9:40 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.

LRT Line 1 currently has an average daily ridership of 400,000 commuters from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City.

LRMC took over operation and maintenance of LRT Line 1 in September 2015. It will also be responsible for the construction of the 11.7-kilometer extension from the present end point at Baclaran to the Niog area in Bacoor, Cavite. The extended rail line is expected to help increase the capacity of LRT 1 from 500,000 to 800,000 passengers daily and benefit more than four million residents in the southern part of Metro Manila and of Cavite.