Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Central Visayas Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. | file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu—The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) has assured drivers and operators who participated in the first phase of the ‘Libreng Sakay’ and service contracting program (SCP) that they will receive their payouts soon.
LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr., said this on Monday, September 20, 2021, following complaints from concerned individuals who have yet to receive their payouts from the first phase, which took place from April to June this year.
Montealto once again asked for ‘a little bit of patience,’ stressing that everything has to go through proper procedure or layers of checking to make sure they have not omitted any record or committed some errors in the process.
“Sigurado gyud ta nga mabayran. Gamay nalang gyud, dako kaayong pag-asa nga mabayran na gyud ta kay naa na sa central office ang pundo. Dili man sad gud nato kontrolado ang situation kay duna ma’y procedure kay government’s money mani. Kinahanglan masiguro gyud ni nga maayo pagkaplastar,” he said.
It can be recalled that Montealto had already asked for patience from unpaid drivers and operators last month. However, complaints have recently resurfaced following the resumption or the second phase of ‘Libreng Sakay’ last Thursday, September 16, 2021.
He earlier said there is a lot of factors for the delay of the payouts, including the shipment of hard copies of the records or reports to the Central Office.
READ: LTFRB-7 asks ‘a little bit of patience’ from drivers, operators of Libreng Sakay program
This is why in the implementation of the second phase, Montealto emphasized to the operators of how the system works.
Despite that, he said majority of those who availed the SCP are operators from the first phase.
As of Saturday, September 18, a total of 252 units were deployed in 31 routes in the region, serving health care workers (HCW) and authorized persons outside residence (APOR).
Of the 252 units, 221 of which were plying 23 routes in Cebu Island while 10 and 21 others were plying Negros Oriental and Bohol, respectively.
Montealto said they have resumed the said program, which is expected to end on December, believing that the agency can now download the payment for drivers and operators who took part of the first phase.
“Gibalik na gyud ni kay na approve naman pod tong atong appropriation sa General Appropriations Act. Dayon sigurado naman gyud tang makabayad atong phase one,” he said.
/bmjo
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