City Hall can’t afford free rides for students

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government said it cannot implement a Libreng Sakay, or free ride, program for students due to rising fuel costs and limited financial resources.

“The city government really cannot afford that […] Our resources are very limited. We are facing a crisis,” Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said in a press briefing on Thursday, April 23.

Treñas-Chu noted that even the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 is facing challenges in implementing its service contracting program, which pays public utility vehicle operators and drivers between PHP 40 and PHP 100 per kilometer on top of regular fare income.

“The least we can do is support our transport sector. If they cannot recover, at least students can still manage the fares. If we have that support, they will continue operating, and our students will not be affected,” she said.

Since March, the city government has distributed fuel subsidies to drivers and operators, with qualified jeepney drivers and operators receiving PHP 1,500 each and tricycle drivers receiving PHP 500.

The city recently approved a PHP 1.4 billion supplemental budget, which includes funding to sustain the fuel subsidy program for six months.

The mayor said the Resource Employees Association of City Hall and the General Services Office are finalizing pickup and drop-off points for a Libreng Sakay program intended for City Hall employees.

“Maybe we can implement that by Monday because their studies are almost done,” she said.

Treñas-Chu said the city is reviewing employee locations to maximize limited resources and ensure efficient deployment of transport services.

“We cannot accommodate everyone, so we will strategically identify areas to ensure that in all areas we can deploy buses,” she added.

She also said the city cannot yet declare a state of calamity over the fuel crisis, citing ongoing developments in the Middle East that continue to affect global oil prices.

“Our crisis team is ready for Phase 3 if ever the fuel prices increase again, that is why in our supplemental budget we already allocated for our needed resources for us to make sure that the city is ready,” she said.

Treñas-Chu said Phase 3 would involve a total transport shutdown.

“We have to prepare for the worst. We will never know if we will activate the state of calamity. We are making sure that once we activate it, we activate it for the right reason,” she said.