TACLOBAN CITY — In a bid to cushion the impact of rising commodity prices in Eastern Samar, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-8) is set to roll out its Libreng Sakay program this month to cover cargo deliveries from Tacloban City to the province.
Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion said the free transport initiative will include trucks carrying essential goods such as rice, fuel, and perishable items.
The program is expected to complement the existing Libreng Sakay service from Tacloban to Amandayehan, which was launched earlier to help stabilize the supply chain across Samar and Leyte provinces.
“This is our response to the increasing prices of basic commodities in Eastern Samar. We want to minimize the impact, especially in far-flung areas,” Torrecarion said in an interview.
He noted that the expansion of the program to Eastern Samar was prompted by a request from former Governor Ben Evardone during their recent consultation. The OCD is now completing the necessary paperwork and targets to begin the operations within the month of July.
Under the proposed route, the Libreng Sakay will offer at least two daily trips from Tacloban City to Guiuan, Eastern Samar, a journey that takes approximately four to five hours.
Aside from helping regulate prices, the program also aims to ease the congestion of delivery trucks that has been observed on the Samar and Tacloban side.
Torrecarion said that opening up a dedicated route to Eastern Samar will significantly improve the flow of goods and reduce logistical bottlenecks.
The Libreng Sakay program, originally conceived to assist commuters and frontliners during the pandemic, has since evolved into a logistical support initiative designed to assist in regional food security, particularly in times of supply chain disruption and economic instability.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
