Mabuhay Philippines - Manila's LRT / MRT Systems (Day 2)

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Thursday, 25th October 2012

Like I shared in my previous posts, Manila is currently served by 2 LRT Lines and 1 MRT Line which is clearly inadequate to cope with the huge crowds using the transit system during rush hours. More lines are currently planned including one that could lead all the way to the airport in future.

We finally got a chance to ride on the trains on day 2 of our stay in the city. Boarding the service from United Nations Avenue (even the name sounds so international), we quickly made our way south to EDSA-Pasay Interchange Station where we transfered to the MRT System to Ayala Centre Station. This is the station closest to the Makati business district (think Orchard Road in Singapore).

On our return trip from Makati in the afternoon, we took the reverse route and alighted at Central Station. This station was built just outside the historic walls of Intramuros where our hotel was located.

I cherished these opportunities to ride on the transit system given that we were discouraged to use it right from the beginning due to security concerns. However, during our 2 rides on the trains, we never felt intimidated given that security checks were performed when entering the stations and guards were on duty on the platform itself.

On the contrary, we were glad that the commuters who used the system were orderly and non-intrusive. At the EDSA-Pasay Interchange Station, one man even offered his advice thinking that we might be heading towards the wrong direction.

For most of the times, we were left on our own to enjoy the train rides while admiring the city's streetscapes from another perspective.

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