OVP allocates 5 buses for the launch of its Libreng Sakay program

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Wednesday launched its free bus ride program, adding two buses that will pass through the EDSA Bus Carousel route and three more in Visayas and Mindanao.

Duterte personally led the ceremony at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange, along with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista.

In her speech, Duterte said the “Peak Hours Augmentation Bus Service-Libreng Sakay” was launched simultaneously in other key areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

A total of five WiFi-ready buses were initially allocated for this—two of which will be deployed in Metro Manila, one in Davao City, one in Cebu, and one in Bacolod.

LOOK: VP Sara Duterte and DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista lead the launch of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) libreng sakay program at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange. @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/ExPMtGkfn4

— g (@giselleombay_) August 3, 2022

“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.

Duterte’s spokesperson, Atty. Reynold Munsayac, said that in the National Capital Region, the restroom-equipped buses will pass through the EDSA Bus Carousel route from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Mondays to Saturdays.

In Cebu, the bus traversing Mandaue City will start carrying passengers from Jagobiao from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Tuesday.

It will then transfer to Cebu City every Wednesday and Thursday and will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. en route from SM Seaside to IT Park.

Lapu-Lapu City will also get to offer free rides every Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., starting at the Mactan Economic Processing Zone 1.

In Bacolod City, the OVP bus will be available from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. except on Saturdays. It will course through different barangays in the city on different days.

In Davao City, the bus will travel the Lasang route every Monday and Tuesday, Toril route every Wednesday and Thursday, and Calinan route every Friday and Saturday. It will start carrying passengers from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

According to Munsayac, the government will not be responsible for paying bus conductors and drivers because the private sector will take care of that.

“Basically ang sagot ng OVP dito ay gasolina, ‘yung repair, at maintenance ng sasakyan. Buti na lang ‘yung gastos sa driver at sa konduktor ay sinagot din ng mga nagpahiram sa 'tin ng bus,” Munsayac said.

“Ito ho, wala namang obligasyon ang LTFRB o DOTr na bayaran kasi kung baga, ‘yung pagpapahiram ng Office of the Vice President na ito na ipinahiram din sa 'min ay wala ring kakargahin dito ‘yung gobyerno,” he added.

(Basically, OVP will pay for the fuel, repair, and maintenance of the vehicles. Fortunately, the payment for the driver and the conductor was also covered by those who lent us the buses. The government or the LTFRB and DOTr don’t have the obligation to pay them.)

Duterte said the buses were lent to them by the private sector during the campaign period. After the elections, she said the OVP decided to deploy the buses instead in different parts of the country to support the DOTr’s “Libreng Sakay” under the government’s nationwide service contracting program.

This was welcomed by Bautista, saying that the additional buses along the EDSA busway will help commuters especially during rush hours, and the students who are set to go back to in-person classes.

“Ito ay makakatulong sa mga manggagawang kailangang magtrabaho habang pasan ang bigat na dulot ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis at iba pang mga bilihin. The Vice President’s help can also be used when face-to-face classes restart. Malaking tulong ang libreng sakay sa ating mga estudyante,” he said.

(This will help the employees who have to work while bearing the burden caused by the increasing fuel prices and other commodities. The Vice President's aid can also be used when face-to-face classes restart. These free rides are a big help to our students.)

Munsayac also said the OVP’s free ridership program will be implemented in the next six years and they will try to add more buses to pass through other routes like in the Commonwealth area.

It will also impose a “No Face mask, No Ride” policy to ensure the safety of passengers against COVID-19.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier approved the extension of the free EDSA Carousel bus rides until December 2022. It was supposed to end on July 30, 2022.

He also approved free rides for students who will be using the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2), and PNR from August 22 until November 4, 2022. —KG/VBL, GMA News