LTFRB-CAR clarifies’ libreng sakay for APOR

June 12, 2021 Metro BLISTT

Lalaine Sobremonte, LTFRB-CAR OIC Regional Director, clarified during the city council’s regular session last Monday that anyone who goes out of their residence for essential reasons may avail of the “Libreng Sakay para sa mga APOR” Program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
Authorized Person Outside Residence (APOR) is a term used to refer to a resident who can move around, especially when going to work, without restrictions during a certain quarantine period. Sobremonte pointed out that since Baguio City is currently placed under General Community Quarantine, those residents aged 18 to 65 are considered APOR and may enjoy free rides under this program.
Even those who go out to buy essential goods are considered APORs and may go on board a vehicle offering free rides under the LTFRB’s “Libreng Sakay” Program, Sobremonte said. The city council advised the LTFRB-CAR to further inform the public that the program is practically for anyone allowed to go out of the house so as to cater to more people especially that long queues are still observed in many jeepney terminals and loading areas in the city.
Several members of the city council also observed that some PUVs offering free rides are plying the roads with very few passengers. Sobremonte assured that their office will intensify their information dissemination and that the drivers will again be reminded to pick up all hailing passengers since almost everyone going out is an APOR.
According to a social media post by LTFRB-CAR, there are now eight existing routes catered to by the free ride program for APORs and medical health workers as of May 27, 2021. These routes are Baguio City – Dalupirip and vice versa; Ambayao – La Chesa and vice versa; Baguio City – Crystal Cave and vice versa; Baguio City – Binga via Twin River and vice versa; Baguio City – Binga via Guisset and vice versa; Baguio City – Kereng, Tinongdan and vice versa; Baguio City – Trancoville and vice versa; and Baguio City –Aurora Hill and vice versa.
The LTFRB-CAR enjoins all medical front liners and APORs in these routes are enjoined to avail of the program. The “Libreng Sakay” Program started on April 27, 2021 and will end on June 30, 2021.
The LTFRB issued MC 2021-008 providing for the guidelines on the nationwide implementation of free rides for medical health workers. By virtue of MC 2021-029, the Libreng “Sakay” Program was expanded to include APORs as recipients of the free ride service.
According to Sobremonte, all transport cooperatives and corporations in the city who have already consolidated into legal entities under the PUV Modernization Program were encouraged to support and participate in the Libreng Sakay program.
The cooperatives or corporations on board the “Libreng Sakay” Program are paid P52.50 per daily actual kilometer for modernized and traditional public utility jeepneys and P82.50 for public utility buses where 30% of the weekly payout goes to the drivers as their salaries and the 70% is given to the operators to cover daily operational and maintenance costs.
The “Libreng Sakay” Program of the LTFRB is a derivative of the PUV Service Contracting Program which aims to give temporary relief to critically affected workers in the public transportation
sector.
Jordan G. Habbiling/ABN