The House of Representatives on Thursday launched a free ride program for commuters traveling from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City and on the return route to Fairview Terraces as part of a temporary transport relief initiative aimed at easing the burden of rising fuel costs on workers, students, and other daily passengers.
The project, called “Biyaheng Damayan: Libreng Sakay mula sa Kongreso,” is a joint effort of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.
The initiative comes as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East fuel uncertainty in global oil markets, with ripple effects being felt across transport fares, food prices, and other basic goods.
“This is about making sure that government response is felt where it matters most — in the daily lives of our people,” Marcos said in a news release.
He emphasized that the program is fully aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s broader economic strategy, which mobilizes all agencies of government to mitigate the effects of external shocks on the domestic economy.
“This libreng sakay initiative is part of the President’s whole-of-government approach to protect the purchasing power of Filipino families,” he said.
Under the approved setup, four House buses will serve the route every Monday, Thursday and Friday, beginning March 26, during both morning and afternoon peak hours.
The program is intended to operate on a temporary basis while fuel prices remain elevated, and commuters continue to feel the strain of rising transport expenses.
The free rides will cover two linked routes in the morning: San Jose del Monte, Bulacan to Quezon City Rotonda, and Quezon City Rotonda to Fairview Terraces.
In the afternoon and evening, the return trip will run from Quezon City Rotonda to Fairview Terraces and vice versa, allowing passengers to move through one of the busiest commuter corridors in northern Metro Manila and nearby Bulacan province.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), in a March 25 letter to House Secretary-General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, raised no objection to the House operating the four buses under the program.
The agency also said the issuance of a special permit was not required because the vehicles are official government vehicles and no fare will be collected from passengers riding under the program.
The approved bus schedule provides for morning peak-hour operations from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. and afternoon or evening peak-hour operations from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
These hours were selected to coincide with peak periods when workers and students are most likely to queue for public transportation and encounter the heaviest traffic.
The House concept paper for the project identified daily wage earners, workers and students, including those in public schools and state universities and colleges, as the primary beneficiaries of the libreng sakay program.
It also gives priority or assisted boarding to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women, reflecting the project’s intent to offer relief first to those who may need it most. (PNA)