The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has set aside ₱1 billion to fund a free ride program aimed at providing relief to commuters and supporting public transport drivers, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez announced.
In an interview, Lopez said the agency has already requested a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to facilitate the release of funds.
“We have a 1 billion fund for this. ‘Yun po yung budgeted amount namin. And humingi na po tayo ng SARO sa DBM. And hopefully, ma-release po nila so that right after we’re done with the fuel subsidy, pwede na rin natin ilatag itong service contracting natin,” Lopez said.
Of the total budget, ₱300 million has been earmarked for the maritime sector to assist passengers who rely on fast craft vessels as their primary mode of transportation.
Lopez added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has assured additional funding if the initial allocation proves insufficient.
“Ang sabi ng Pangulo, kung kulang ang pondo for libreng sakay, dadagdagan natin. So ang ginagawa natin ngayong programa is how to extend. This libreng sakay kahit na mga three weeks just in time for the additional funding. Again, ma’am, it’s all about timing at kung paano, how fast we can implement this kind of progress,” he noted.
The initiative is designed to complement the government’s ongoing fuel subsidy program, providing immediate support to commuters while ensuring the continued operation of public transport services.