TACLOBAN CITY — The government continues to provide free roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) transport services through the ‘Libreng Sakay’ program being implemented in two ports in Eastern Visayas—the Tacloban port in Leyte, and Amandayehan port in Basey, Samar.
The free transport services, launched by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell-Task Force San Juanico (RIAAC-TFSJ) in June this year, are a coordinated response to the transport disruption caused by the San Juanico Bridge weight limitations.
In his earlier statement, Lord Byron Torrecarion, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense 8, said the program is part of the P54.3 million package that was downloaded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to the region following the weight restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.
“This will run for about three to five months, depending on the frequency of the trip, kasi yung under contract sa atin is 630 trips,” Torrecarion said.
The allotted funds were also used in the activation of the incident management team, personnel sustenance, fuel for the vehicles of free rides carrying passengers along the San Juanico Bridge, among others.
Included in the program are cargo trucks and delivery vehicles transporting essential and perishable goods such as food, medicines water, animal feeds and fuel; government and humanitarian vehicles, which are on official duty carrying relief goods or logistical support for disaster response operations; and private sector suppliers or traders of essential goods endorsed by the local government units to the RIACC-TFSJ or OCD- 8.
Erwin Timtim, a truck driver from Marikina City, expressed his gratitude to the government for implementing the Libreng Sakay, saying it somehow lessens their burden in the delivery of their products.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa gobyerno na may palibreng sakay ng barko kasi natutulungan nila kami para hindi masyadong ma-stranded,” Timtim said.
(I am grateful to the government for the ‘Libreng Sakay’ in RoRo because they are helping us avoid getting stranded too much.)
As of October 9 (Day 111) of its implementation since June 18 this year, OCD-8 said the program has already served or ferried a total of 6,167 vehicles in both ports to include 2,937 cargo trucks for the Tacloban-Basey route, 2,749 cargo trucks for the Basey-Tacloban route, and 481 fuel tankers.
The ‘Libreng Sakay’ initiative, spearheaded by OCD-8, is a whole-of-government approach, offering additional vessel support to ensure continuous movements of goods and services that provide lifelines to the economy of the region. (By Consuelo B. Alarcon/PIA Eastern Visayas)
