My MRT Experience after 10 years.

Manila Metro Rail Transit

10 years since being able to ride the Manila Metro Rail Transits or MRT of the Philippines.

What has changed after all these years? Come and join me on my train ride.

First, I had to clamber through the high building to get to the station and I decided not to take the elevator because of the pandemic so I took the stairs. At the elevation of the stairs, I was catching up with my breathing and felt like I workout for half an hour.

Finally, I reached the end of the stairs and find the station. To start my train ride, I need a ticket. Tickets are sold at the metro station they have different options for buying tickets, one is the machine where you can buy self-service tickets similar to overseas which is common but there are very few machines available and most tickets can be purchased at the station booth where you can reload your card, pay a ticket in cash and credit. I wanted to buy my ticket at the machine to do the self-service and was fortunate to know as the security guard approached telling me that the MRT ride is free for the whole month of April, and they handed me a card to get on the train.

Here’s the link to why it’s a free ride and the regular ticket fare price.

MRT-3 Free Ride

MRT ticket fare

After getting my ticket, I continued to the next phase of entering the metro station and there is a device that will steer your access card to the train as you enter. I noticed that many security guards were roaming around and before entering the station there was a scanning machine and I was feeling secure and safe. Good thing, that there aren’t too many people.

While on the metro, I also couldn’t help but associate the train and the station with the ones I saw abroad. But the quietness of the metro station, its cleanliness, orderly, and disciplined employees caught my attention. Hopefully not because of the pandemic which is mostly due to the proper management of the public setting.

I soon reached my destination, and getting off at Ortigas station stood peaceful and guided even with the train announcements in between prompting the rules of preventing the spreading of the virus inside the train and the noticeable need to repaint the station’s entire building for it’s ancient-looking. Hopefully, always be like this with no queue, peaceful, and disciplined for an enjoyable train experience.