‘Yorme’ initiative guarantees P1K drivers’ profits

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced Monday the expansion of a P20-million “Libreng Sakay” program designed to provide financial relief to jeepney drivers, operators, and commuters struggling with surging fuel prices.

Under the initiative, the city government spends P4 million per day to rent public utility jeepneys. The P3,500 daily budget per unit is divided to provide P1,000 in earnings for the driver, P1,000 for the operator and P1,500 to cover diesel costs.

Speaking during the regular Monday flag-raising ceremony, Domagoso said the project aims to stabilize the income of the transport sector while allowing the public to commute free of charge. The mayor cited that the city has enough savings to sustain the program for five days.

“If you take two round trips for free, you save P100 in fares,” Domagoso said. “That is enough to buy a meal. We are helping in our own small way.”

As of 6 a.m. Monday, the city reported that 218 participating drivers had already served 3,375 passengers and Domagoso revealed that during the first two days of implementation, approximately 365,000 commuters benefited from the service at a cost of P8 million, averaging a P25 subsidy per passenger.