Note (for clarity's sake):
Stored Value - SV
Single Journey - SJ
The new card system was finally implemented in 2016 after months of painful waiting (SV cards could not be used during the waiting period, so everybody HAD to wait in line to get a ticket). The change also brought about replacement of the old turnstiles. The new ones can read cards in two ways: 1) by tapping (for SV cards), and 2) by inserting (for SJ cards).
Cards can be bought from the staff inside the ticket booth or a self-service machine. Take note that self-service machines are located in selected stations only, which means that not all stations have them. On a side note, I personally feel that these are NOT user-friendly because they lack instructions on how to be used. There was one time when I had merely wanted to reload my SV card but had ended up paying for a new SV card (which costs an extra P20). Yup, so now I have two SV cards. What the heck am I supposed to do with two cards? (-__-)
Anyway, there are three types of cards that can be bought:
1) SV card - This costs an initial P20, on top of the amount you want to load in it, but is valid for around 4 years.
This is what the front of the new SV card looks like.
This is what the back of the new SV card looks like. Notice the validity date at the top right corner.
2) Senior citizen's SV card - This discounted card is for the use of senior citizens only. All contents can be bought with 20% discount. This looks similar to the SV card, except it is color white (instead of blue).
3) SJ card - This costs the amount of the journey and is valid for 1 day. Please note that, unlike the old system, where you can buy round-trip tickets in one station, you can only use the ticket at the station from where you bought it. Confused? Example: Going from Pedro Gil to Bambang station costs P15. The trip back from Bambang to Pedro Gil also costs P15. In the past, you could just buy two tickets at Pedro Gil station (to save time) and use the second ticket on the way home. In the new system, this is not allowed. If you buy the ticket at Pedro Gil, you can only use it in this station (entry point). This card has a white body and a colored top part (green for LRT1, blue for LRT2, and yellow for MRT).
Just like before, using the SV card gives the rider more value for their money compared to the SJ card. Here are the adjusted fare matrices for the train lines (taken from LRT/MRT websites):
LRT1 SJ Fare Matrix.
LRT1 SV Fare Matrix.
LRT2 SJ Fare Matrix.
LRT2 SV Fare Matrix.
MRT Fare Matrix. (I'm not sure if SJ and SV have the same cost since I don't ride this line often.)
The best thing about the new SV card system is that you only need one card to ride any of the three trains (as long as you have adequate load). The bad thing is that they no longer allow you to skip the long entry line during rush hour, even if you already have a card (-__-).
So far, I have been satisfied with the new card system.
Hope my info helps. Feel free to share you experience.
