If you have a National ID, you can ride the MRT-3 for free every Wednesday in August. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced the free rides to celebrate the signing of the Philippine Identification System Act, and it is a deal worth planning your week around.
Here is everything you need to know: the dates, the hours, what to present, and why the government is doing this.
The free ride dates
The free rides are available on all Wednesdays of August: Aug. 5, 12, 19, and 26, according to the DOTr advisory released on Friday, July 31.
The window covers the morning and evening rush hours.
Rides are free from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
There is one more bonus date: Sept. 16, 2026, which celebrates Global Identity Day.
What you need to present
Commuters can present any of the three formats of the National ID to avail of the free service.
The physical National ID card works, and so does the Digital ID and the ePhilID in paper format. If you have your ID on your phone, that counts too.
No other documents are needed. Just your National ID and your trip through the station’s entry gates during the free windows.
Why the free rides
The initiative marks the enactment of Republic Act No. 11055, the Philippine Identification System Act, which established the national ID system (PhilSys) administered by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
It is also a practical push to promote the use of the National ID. Free rides give commuters a reason to carry and present their ID, reinforcing the habit of using it as a valid government identification.
Get your National ID at the station
Do not have a National ID yet? You can register right at the MRT-3. The free ride initiative is a partnership between DOTr-MRT-3 and the PSA, and the statistics agency is conducting National ID registration at the Araneta-Cubao and Taft Avenue stations.
Registration runs until Aug. 31, 2026. That gives commuters roughly a month to sign up at either station and still catch the free ride dates in the meantime.
It is a rare case where the incentive comes first, and the registration desk is literally at the train station.
The bottom line
MRT-3 commuters with a National ID get free rides every Wednesday in August, during peak hours, plus a special free ride on Sept. 16 for Global Identity Day.
Bring your physical card, your Digital ID, or your ePhilID, tap through during the free windows, and enjoy the ride. If you are missing an ID, the PSA desk at Araneta-Cubao or Taft can fix that before the month ends.
