October 27, 2025 – The University of the Philippines Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) organized its own beep™ card caravan with support from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) to serve the UP community, specifically students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) who are eligible for discounted train fares through the use of the concessionary beep™ cards that are issued on-the-spot at Melchor Hall of the UP College of Engineering.
The two-day event, which is open to eligible applicants from 9am to 5pm, seeks to promote inclusive mobility and is aligned with UP ACES’ mission and advocacy to leverage the Civil Engineering discipline to improve the lives of Filipinos, specifically through better public transport solutions.
Ian Marquez, UP ACES President shares, “…Part of the fields that we learn in (College of Engineering) is Transportation so that’s (why it’s) close to our hearts…” The organization’s Vice President for External Affairs, Lance Miranda, echoes the same sentiment, “…Very aligned siya sa goal namin na I-forward (ang) Engineering to (the) people whom we serve, and ang layunin na maging people-centered ng commuting systems natin…hindi talaga dapat pinapalampas ang ganitong opportunity to better serve the community.”
Mr. Miranda adds, “As a commuter, nakikita ko ang convenience ng sistema ng beep™ sa train system kase di ka na bibili (ng Single Journey Ticket) tapos magtatap ka nalang… for sure mapo-promote sila (Students) na mas tangkilikin ang mga commuting systems natin.”
UP Diliman students took the chance to join the on-campus caravan to save on time, compared to lining up in train stations, as one student applicant observed, “Napapansin ko po na napakatagal ng pila sa LRT… so di na din po ako nagkakaroon ng time para makabili ng beep™ card.” Another applicant, a freshman from the College of Education, aired the same sentiment, “Base po sa narinig ko sa mga friends ko po na kumuha sa (train stations), hassle (daw) po, kase nag-iintay po sila nang matagal.”
Other students are also motivated by the convenience of beep™ cards in their commute, as one female applicant from the College of Engineering noted, “I am interested and motivated to get a beep™ card, ‘cause it makes the commuting process easier, since hindi na kami kailangan bumili ng (Single Journey) ticket, and diretso na agad tap. It’s somewhat similar sa transportation systems in other countries, which makes it more convenient, especially as a student na maraming dala every time magco-commute kami…” Another student applicant, who just recently relocated to Manila to pursue college, also shared “First time ko po kase dito sa Manila, so parang gagamitin ko po siya sa pag-travel.”
One applicant, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Scholar, shared that they sought to secure the concessionary beep™ card to make their commute much affordable and cost-friendly, “Para mas maka-save po, since before po yung pamasahe ko from here (UPD) to Taft ay 50, so ngayon mababawasan na po siya to 28 (pesos), so malaking savings po talaga siya.”
When asked about the queuing & process, students from the College of Education, shared that from the queuing up until the application itself was notable fast, “Sobrang bilis po, dumating po kami ng around 9:30 and before 10:30 tapos na po (kami).” Another student applicant mentioned, “Kahit late na ako dumating ang bilis pa rin, I really enjoyed it.”
The caravan in UP Diliman campus runs until Tuesday, October 28.
Meanwhile, the Concessionary beep™ Card applications are still being accepted at all stations at LRT 1, LRT 2 and MRT 3 from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM, and on weekends from 7AM to 7PM. For more information about the Concessionary Card Issuance Program, visit: https://beep.com.ph/concessionary/
