The Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Libreng Sakay Program would likely end this year due to the lack of funding in the agency’s 2023 budget. No Budget for Libreng Sakay in 2023
As reported by Mark Steven Pastor, Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure for the Department of Transportation, the agency proposed Php 12 billion for the service contracting program for 2023 but was not included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP)
Goddes Libiran, the budget office’s undersecretary for media relations, community outreach, and internal audit, confirmed the report, stating the initiative is a one-off.
“It is not a regular program. Hence, similar to previous years, no funds were allocated for it under the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP),” Libiran stated.
Still, Pastor stated that efforts are underway to secure funding for the contracting service program for the following year.
In response to the epidemic, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) established the “Libreng Sakay” program in 2020 under Republic Act No. 11494, also known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
In addition to weekly compensation based on the number of kilometers driven, participants in this service contracting scheme will receive a lump sum payment.
PUV owners and drivers participating in this service contracting arrangement will get a lump sum payment in addition to weekly costs based on the distance driven.
