The Office of the Vice President (OVP) Sara Duterte, with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), on Wednesday, 3 August simultaneously launched the “Libreng Sakay” program to help commuters in key areas nationwide during rush hours.
Duterte, who initiated the implementation of the free transport ride, said she was hopeful the project will help Filipinos save fare expenses.
“We hope that through this program, we will be able to provide relief to some of our fellow Filipinos who rely on public transport for their daily commute to work, to school, and to many other places,” Duterte said during the official launch ceremony of the OVP Libreng Sakay program at Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange here.
The program launching simultaneously kicked off in Metro Manila in Luzon, in the cities of Cebu, Lapulapu, Mandaue, and Bacolod in the Visayas, and Davao City in Mindanao.
The OVP said two buses will be functional in Metro Manila, one in Davao City, one in Cebu, and another one in Bacolod.
The WIFI-ready buses were initially lent for OVP use, but Duterte said these “would be more useful” if they were deployed in some key areas of the country to be used by the commuting public for free.
“It will support the national government’s Libreng Sakay Program, and at the same time, it is hoped that this meager contribution will translate to daily savings for our public transport-riding kababayan,” Duterte said.
Duterte is confident that this is just the beginning of many more successful collaborations with the private sector “to provide much-needed relief to the public.”