QUEZON CITY -- The Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte-Carpio formally launched the Libreng Sakay initiative of the OVP together with Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista at the PITX today, 3 August 2022.

"We launched this program today simultaneously with other key areas in Mindanao and Visayas: two buses will be deployed in Metro Manila, one in Davao City, one in Cebu and one in Bacolod. Let me emphasize that this program is a demonstration of effective government and private sector collaboration", Vice President Duterte said.

She also expressed her gratitude to Secretary Bautista for welcoming the OVP for this project.

For his part, Secretary Bautista also expressed his gratitude to VP Duterte for her support to DOTr's Libreng Sakay program to help address commuter woes especially during rush hours and provide an accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe transport for every Filipino.

"Kaisa po ang Kagawaran ng Transportasyon sa hangarin ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo na tulungang ibsan ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan lalo na sa panahon ngayon.

"This is the kind of collaboration between government agencies that I advocated to facilitate delivery of service to the public. More importantly, this is one of the crucial ways on how we can attain our goal of providing ACCESSIBLE, AFFORDABLE, COMFORTABLE, AND SAFE TRANSPORT SERVICE for all Filipinos," Sec. Bautista said.

Other DOTr officials present at the event are Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Atty. Mark Steven Pastor, Undersecretary for Maritime Elmer Sarmiento, and LTFRB Chairperson Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil. (DOTr)