Motorcycle ride-hailing firm Move It has teamed up with a partylist group for a pilot project that provides one month of free rides to barangay health workers in Metro Manila.

The project, dubbed "Libreng Sakay for Barangay Health Workers," is a partnership between Move It and the office of BHW Partylist Representative Angelica Natasha Co.

"Move It is committed to ensuring that our BHWs can perform their tasks without worrying much about traveling from their homes to work and vice versa," said Move It general manager Wayne Jacinto.

"This is also our small way of saying thank you to them for their dedication despite having no salary and benefits, as well as to their important contribution in the fight against COVID-19," Jacinto added.

For her part, Co thanked Move It for participating in the pilot project aimed at lessening the burden of BHWs, who have become incidental Covid-19 frontliners without benefits since most of them are volunteers.

"We express our deep appreciation and gratitude to Move It for recognizing the critical role played by our BHWs in improving access and quality health care for our communities," Co said.

BHWs are volunteers who undergo basic training program under an accredited government or non-government organization, and render primary health care services in the community.

They provide services such as first aid, maternal, neonatal, and child health, and community-based interventions including immunization clinics for barangays.

At her own initiative, Co has spearheaded the legislation of the Magna Carta of BHWs, which seeks to grant incentives and benefits to BHWs amounting to at least P7,000 per month. Her bill has been pending in Congress for years.

Co's proposal is one of the priority bills endorsed in the recent meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council in Malacanang.

The Libreng Sakay project for barangay health workers follows the successful implementation of Move It's free rides for public school teachers and the uniformed personnel of the military and police recently.

The pilot project runs from 15 October until 15 November 2022 and free rides can be availed from Monday to Friday during the period.

Under the project, BHWs in Metro Manila will be given free rides worth up to P150 a day.

There will be 300 available daily redemptions of the free rides for BHWs that can be availed of on a first-come, first-served basis.

A BHW is entitled to avail of a maximum of two rides per day during the promo period.

Move It will provide at least one promo code to the BHW Partylist, which will then disseminate the code to the BHWs.

To avail of the free service, BHWs need to present their official ID to the Move It motorcycle taxi driver for verification.

Move It has set up an assistance booth around different health centers in Metro Manila, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., in order to answer any queries about the free rides or the Move It mobile application.

"This project will be at no cost to the BHW Partylist or to the Philippine government," Jacinto said.