NI NOEL ABUEL
Umapela ang isang kongresista sa Department of Transportation (DOTr) na agarang makipagtulungan sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM) para sa pagbabalik ng Libreng Sakay program sa kahabaan ng Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA).
Ang panawagan ay ginawa ni Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte sa paliwanag nitong malaking tulong para sa mga mahihirap na commuters sa National Capital Region (NCR) lalo na at patuloy ang pagtaas na presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin.
“The DOTr must see to it that the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) fast-tracks the documentation process, including the contract-signing with the two bus consortiums—ES Transport & Partners Consortium and Mega Manila Consortium Corp.—participating in Libreng Sakay, so this project on free bus rides can be restarted soon enough for the benefit of ordinary commuters in Metro Manila,” sabi ni Villafuerte, pangulo ng National Unity Party (NUP),
Tugon ito ng kongresista kasunod ng pagkumpirma ni DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman na may P1.285 bilyong pondo sa 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) ng Service Contracting Program ng DOTr para sa Libreng Sakay hanggang Disyembre mula MCU (Manila Central University) sa Caloocan City hanggang PITX (Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange) sa Parañaque City.
“May pondo po ang Service Contracting Program sa ating FY 2023 GAA. Naglaan po ang pamahalaan ng P1.285 billion para maipagpatuloy ang programang ito ngayong taon … Malaking tulong po ang tipid-pasahe sa araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin. Whatever amount they save daily, they can reallocate to equally or more important needs such as budget for food, electricity, tuition fee, among others,” ani Pangandaman.
Kasabay nito, inusisa ni Villafuerte si Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista para mag-lobby sa Malacañan Palace o sa DBM paraa maglaan ng supplemental budget para sa SCP.
“With the rate of commodity price hikes in December rising at its fastest in 14 years, it is incumbent upon the DOTr to work closely with the DBM on speeding up the paperwork needed to restart Libreng Sakay as well as the release of the 2023 funds intended for SCP, so the government can continue offering free bus rides in Metro Manila, more so with the elevated, mostly imported, inflation, hounding our people into the new year,” ani Villafuerte.
Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), umakyat ang inflation rate sa 14-year record na 8.1% noong nakaraang Disyembre, na pinakamataas simula ng 9.1% na naitala noong 2008 sa panahon ng global financial crisis.
“It behooves the DOTr, LTFRB and DBM to find ways to resume the free bus rides ASAP (as soon as possible)—and to scour for funds to extend this pro-poor program till the end of 2023 at the least—considering that NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) director-general and concurrent Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said earlier that protecting the purchasing power of Filipinos remained on top of the Marcos administration’s priorities as domestic and global headwinds continue to be a challenge,” paliwanag pa ng kongresista.
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