The Christmas-decorated trains have returned with a choir and a gift-giving session in some stations in Manila.
Last Monday, those who rode the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) got to travel with the Christmas trains. They were the first to be greeted with images of candy canes, wrapped gifts and other holiday-related designs on trains’ walls, seats and poles.
Pictures of the Christmas train design were reported on social media on November 7.
On the Facebook page of MRT-3, it was stated that this initiative is part of the transport agency’s “ParaTren na ang Pasko!” holiday festivities.
“Harana, regalo at kasiyahan ang handog ng Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) sa mga pasahero nito ngayong ‘ParaTren na ang Pasko!’” the post reads.
“Pinangunahan ni Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways at MRT-3 officer-in-charge Jorjette B. Aquino ang pamimigay-saya sa mga pasahero bilang pagsalubong sa Pasko ngayong Lunes, Nobyembre 6,” it added.
The photos showed Transport Assistant Secretary Jorjette Aquino, dressed in a Santa costume, giving away candies and chocolates to some passengers.
A choir, comprising transport employees and officials, also serenaded the busy commuter crowd in the Cubao stations of MRT-3 and LRT-2 in Quezon City.
ABS-CBN News reported a part of their choir performance on social media.
In a statement, Aquino said that she hoped to bring lighten the hearts of tired Filipino workers through the Christmas trains.
“Sa ating mga Christmas trains, layon namin makapagbigay nang kahit konting saya sa kanilang araw, lalo na sa mga pagod na komyuter habang sila’y pauwi galing sa kanilang trabaho,” she said.
Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera also said that they hoped to bring holiday cheer to Filipino people during their commute.
“Sa pamamagitan ng programang ParaTren ang Pasko, maipapadama namin ang diwa ng pagmamahal at kasiyahan ng Pasko. ‘Yung Christmas vibes na biyahe ang aginaldo namin sa bawat pasahero,” Cabrera said.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) have been rolling out different themed gimmicks for train riders in Metro Manila since the Christmas season of 2016.
These include the Love Train and the Gabay Guro coaches in the past years.
These initiatives were temporarily halted during the tough lockdowns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the comeback last year, only the passengers of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) experienced riding the holiday-themed coaches.
READ: LRT-1 rolls out trains with ‘Music of Christmas’ theme