Transport & Communications

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has officially declared Bataan free from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), marking a major recovery milestone for one of Central Luzon’s key poultry-producing provinces.

Del Monte Pacific Limited (DMPL) said Friday it has asked the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) to lift the trading suspension imposed earlier this week after its external auditor issued a disclaimer of opinion on the company’s latest financial statements.

DOTr to begin distribution of discounted Beep Cards at all Metro Manila rail stations Transport/Comms The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Friday that starting Saturday, personnel will be deployed across all 51 rail stations in Metro Manila to begin the distribution of discounted Beep cards for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs). DOTr acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez confirmed the rollout in a live televised address, saying that the initiative covers all stations on MRT-3 (13 stations), LRT-1 (25 stations), and LRT-2 (13 stations). “We will be in all 51 rail stations tomorrow, Saturday, to begin the distribution of Beep cards for eligible commuters,” Lopez said. The discounted Beep cards offer a 50 percent fare discount for students and qualified users commuting along the three major urban rail lines. Lopez emphasized that the agency opted to launch the distribution over the weekend to ensure that students have access to the cards before classes resume on Monday. Originally slated for earlier release, the cards were delayed due to late delivery of printing equipment required to issue them. However, Lopez noted that with the printers now ready for deployment, the application process has also been streamlined, with fewer documentary requirements needed to obtain a card. In parallel with this initiative, the DOTr has also begun distributing 300,000 additional standard Beep cards to address an ongoing shortage of the RFID-enabled stored-value cards used widely across the Metro Manila rail network. The Beep card system is widely used to ease commuter access across various modes of public transport, providing a cashless, efficient means of travel.