If you use public transportation in Metro Manila, you probably already own a beep card. These stored value cards can be used to pay fare in Metro Manila’s 3 elevated railways – the LRT, LRT-2, MRT-3, point-to-point (P2P) buses, modern PUVs and Cebu ferries.
Going cashless saves you the hassle of lining up every time to get a ticket and saves you a bit on fare compared to using single-journey tickets. These cards can also be used to pay for transactions in some convenience stores and LRT-1 stalls.
While the regular beep card has a nice design, in case you want to show off your Pinoy Pride during your daily commutes, you might want to look out for the limited edition beep cards that feature aspects of Philippine art, culture, and history. The designs are unique, making the cards easy to spot in case you ever lose it.
Spoliarium beep card
The most popular design is the Spoliarium beep card issued by the National Museum. This limited-edition beep card features the award-winning painting Spoliarium by Juan Luna, which is displayed in the National Museum of Fine Arts. The card was released by the National Museum of the Philippines to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the painting’s creation.
This beep card went viral earlier this year and quickly sold out after its release in May 2024. I was recently able to buy it without having to physically line up at the museum by getting it directly from beep’s online shop. The Spoliarium beep card costs P500 without any load.
Exclusive National Museum beep cards
The National Museum also released four Exclusive National Museum beep cards featuring the historical structures to honor the history and culture of the Philippines last November 2023 to mark Museums and Galleries Month. The four designs show:
- Lualhati / Fine Arts: Hematite red card available at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila
- Manunggul jar / Anthropology: Brown card available at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila
- Lolong / Natural History: Green card available at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila
- Cebu: Card available at the National Museum of Natural History building in Cebu
These beep cards were available and sold exclusively at the National Museum of the Philippines and aren’t available in their online shops. I was able to buy the National Museum of Anthropology one when I visited, but it was the only design left at the time.
The National Museum beep cards cost P400 each, with an initial load of P50. They also work like regular beep cards for transport and retail.
CalligraFilipino Baybayin beep cards
While browsing around beep’s online shop, I came across some very cool designs featuring Baybayin, the Philippine ancient writing system. The CalligraFilipino series features artwork designed by internationally renowned CalligraFilipino Artist Taipan Lucero. This series also has four designs featuring Baybayin in creative art forms.
- BLUE: PILIPINO: Written vertically in Baybayin, leading concentric rings of vibrant, colorful, dynamic Cordilleran-inspired weaving designs.
- RED: SA AKING MGA KABATA: Written vertically, from left to right, is the infamous phrase, “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa kanyang salita, mahigit sa hayop at malansang isda (“Those who don’t love their language are worse than animals and rotten fish”)
- TEAL: ILAW: As “ilaw ng tahanan” / light of the home / light of the family, an honorific title of Filipino mothers as they are our guiding light. The red ribbon-like lines are Baybayin letters “I”, “La”, and “W”. The colorful curvilinear forms are inspired by the Okir of the Maranao.
- BLACK: ALIN PA: Lines from the poem “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa”, written by Andres Bonifacio. Written in the kulintang form:
“Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya
Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila
Gaya ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa,
Aling pag-ibig pa? Wala na nga, wala”,
There are also other customized designs on their shop. I just found these the coolest. The CalligraFilipino beep cards cost P350 each with no load.
Where to buy beep cards
Train stations
LRT-1
- Roosevelt
- Balintawak
- Monumento
- 5th Avenue
- R. Papa
- Abad Santos
- Blumentritt
- Tayuman
- Bambang
- Doroteo Jose
- Carriedo
- Central Terminal
- United Nations
- Pedro Gil
- Quirino
- Vito Cruz
- Gil Puyat
- Libertad
- EDSA
- Baclaran
LRT-2
- Recto
- Legarda
- Pureza
- V. Mapa
- J. Ruiz
- Gilmore
- Betty Go – Belmonte
- Araneta Center – Cubao
- Anonas
- Katipunan
- Santolan
- Marikina
- Antipolo
MRT-3
- North Avenue
- Quezon Avenue
- GMA – Kamuning
- Araneta Center – Cubao
- Santolan – Annapolis
- Ortigas
- Shaw Boulevard
- Boni
- Guadalupe
- Buendia
- Ayala
- Magallanes
- Taft Avenue
Select Partner P2P Terminals
- BGC Bus EDSA McKinley– 5am to 12mid (weekdays) and 5am to 11pm (weekends)
- BGC Bus Market! Market!– 5am to 12mid (weekdays) and 5am to 11pm(weekends)
- One Ayala – 1pm to 9pm (weekdays only except holidays)
- TAS Trans Pilar Las Pińas– 5am to 12pm (weekdays only except holidays)
- TAS Trans NUVALI – 5am to 12pm (weekdays only except holidays)
- Alabang Town Center – 5am to 9am (weekdays only except holidays)
- Starmall Alabang – 5am to 9am (weekdays only except holidays)
- Starmall Shaw – 4pm to 8pm (weekdays only except holidays)