MANILA – Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB)
supports the idea of providing discounts to the air fare for students, an
executive said Tuesday.
“We support the student discount for air travel, and we will attend the public
hearing on the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR),” JR Mantaring, CEB
vice president for Corporate Affairs said.
A hearing on the 20 percent air fare student discount IRR was set by the Civil
Aeronautics Board (CAB) in its office in Pasay City on yesterday. All interested
parties are invited to attend.
In its website, CAB announced the hearing for the draft IRR of the air sector.
The said discount is part of the Student Fare Discount Act that President
Rodrigo Duterte signed into law in April.
Mantaring, however, neither confirmed nor denied if CEB has no objection with
the 20 percent, but reiterated that the airline supports implementing student
discounts.
“Details (would be subject to) the consultations,” he added.
Ricardo Isla, chief executive officer of AirAsia Philippines said that the 20
percent discount is being discussed by all airlines.
Under the Student Fare Discount Act, students are entitled to a 20 percent
discount on domestic regular fares, upon personal presentation of their
duly-issued school identification cards or current validated enrollment form,
supported by the prescribed government-issued identification document, subject
to an appropriate verification mechanism to be provided in the implementing
rules and regulations.
Filipino students in elementary, secondary, technical-vocational and higher
education institutions can avail of the 20 percent fare discount. However, students
in post graduate degree courses and informal short-term courses such as
dancing, swimming, music, and driving lessons, and seminar type of courses, are
not entitled to this privilege.
The law covers all public transportation utilities including public utility
buses, public utility jeepneys, taxis, and other similar vehicles-for-hire
tricycles, passenger trains, aircraft, and marine vessels.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) started last
August exempting students from paying terminal fees in all the 42 airports it
operates.
This applies to nursery to college students, including those enrolled in trade,
arts, and technical vocational schools.
Those enrolled in dancing, driving schools, culinary arts and seminar-type
short term courses, and students taking up medicine, law, masters and doctorate
degrees, could not avail of this privilege. (PNA)
