The Supreme Student Council (SSC) launched the sixth iteration of its Libreng Sakay initiative last January 15 and 16, the initiative has been providing free transportation to students across municipalities, cities, and far-flung areas for the resumption of classes.
The program has been in action for the past five semesters and continues to thrive because of its robust partnerships with local government units (LGUs) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federations.
© Emmaculate Gianan
Ramzel Delloro, SSC's Students’ Rights and Welfare (STRAW) Senator, highlighted the logistical challenges faced by students, especially those in far-flung areas.
According to Delloro, who is also the main organizer of the event, their meetings with partnerships mainly revolve around making the information about the program more accessible.
“We admit that we do not have a lot of touch or a lot of parang grip on the ground, especially sa mga far-flung areas na included sa mga partner namin irrespective to their areas,” Delloro added.
413 students were the recipients of the program, with 8 vehicles used in the free ride program of the SSC that operated in municipalities such as Malungon, Alabel, and Malapatan of Sarangani Province; Tupi, and cities of General Santos and Koronadal in South Cotabato.
Delloro also pointed out that because some students lack access to internet services to fill out online seat reservation forms, vehicles provided by the council were allocated specifically for walk-ins, ensuring no student is left behind.
“May mga areas or even students na hindi talagang chronically online so they won't know or be informed sa sa initiatives natin or this specific initiative, so we have a vehicle for Gensan na for walk-ins lang talaga and yung bus is yung talaga yung sa reservations, ” the senator explained.
Delloro said that sustaining the Libreng Sakay has not been a major challenge financially, as the SSC handles logistics and administrative costs, while SK federations contribute direct resources like vehicles.“I'm proud of that because of the Libreng Sakay initiative, we opened those doors for the Supreme Student Council that the next administrations of the SSC will reap the benefits," the senator added.
With strengthened partnerships and innovative solutions for walk-ins, the initiative continues to make education more accessible while paving the way for long-term collaboration between youth organizations.
The aims to address the financial and logistical challenges faced by students in remote areas, ensuring they can access opportunities in urban centers.
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