MANILA — The government should first determine whether existing subsidies are enough to stabilize the transport sector before approving fare increases, according to House transportation committee chair and Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren.

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Pumaren said any decision on fare adjustments must also consider the capacity of commuters to absorb higher transport costs.

“Hindi lang naman ‘yung transport sector ang titignan natin. Titingnan din natin ‘yung commuters if they can afford it right now,” he said.

Several petitions are currently pending before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, including proposals to raise minimum jeepney fares to as high as PHP25.

Pumaren said the administration’s existing interventions should be fully utilized first before considering any fare hike.

“Sa ngayon na ginagawa natin — mayroon tayong fuel subsidy, may discounted fuel, mayroon din per-kilometer na binibigay sa operators at drivers ng jeepney at bus, at may 20 percent discount. I think we can bank on those first,” he said.

He warned that poorly timed fare increases could worsen economic pressures on low-income households.

Pumaren also said Congress, through emergency powers granted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is studying longer-term reforms to address fuel pricing and transport support policies.

In the same forum, he raised concerns over delays in the rollout of the Philippine Identification System, saying these issues are affecting transport workers’ access to government assistance.

He said the lack of a reliable identification system has led to data inconsistencies, duplication, and alleged cases of “ghost” beneficiaries.

“Ang importante dito tamang data. Kung wala tayong maayos na identification system, mahihirapan talaga ang gobyerno sa targeting,” he said.

Pumaren said he will file a resolution seeking a House inquiry into the implementation of the national ID system under the Philippine Statistics Authority.