Surigao City’s Trinidad drivers keep ‘free ride’ promise to underprivileged students
By Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) — Despite the rising cost of living, increasing prices of basic commodities, and soaring fuel expenses, the Trinidad Drivers Sustainable Livelihood Program Association (SLPA) in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte continues to uphold a simple yet meaningful commitment to provide free transportation to students who need it most.
What started as a community initiative in 2023 continues to move forward through the government’s Libre Sakay Program, a service offered by the members of the Trinidad Anomar Sukailang Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TASTODA). The program provides free daily transportation to six selected scholars from the barangays of Anomar and Trinidad, picking them up from their homes, bringing them safely to school, and taking them home after classes.
The program has also become more sustainable after TASTODA received livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Caraga through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). This year, the association received three tricycle units, providing its members with additional means to earn a living while strengthening their capacity to continue serving the community.
For Trinidad Drivers SLPA President Junel Soltero, the livelihood assistance is a blessing that benefits both the drivers and the students they serve.
“Dako kaayo ni nga advantage. Una, nahatagan og oportunidad ang among mga kaubanan nga drivers nga wala pay kaugalingong sakyanan nga makabaton og ilang kaugalingong tricycle, kay sauna, abang-abang man sila. (This is a huge advantage. First, it gives our fellow drivers who do not yet have their transportation units an opportunity to have their own. Before, they had to rent one),” Soltero said.
He explained that having their own tricycle units gave the drivers greater flexibility to serve the scholars beyond the usual hours allowed under the boundary system.
“Previously, the drivers could only operate until around 6:00 p.m. because they had to return and park the tricycles back to their owners. Now that they have their own tricycles, they can continue providing service for as long as they want,” he added. “Before, the scholars would also have to wait for a long time at the terminal because very few drivers were willing to make the trip back as the distance made the fare unprofitable. But now, this is a great blessing because the three drivers are willing to extend their time on the road. They patiently wait for their students from school and give them a free ride to their respective homes.”
Among those benefiting from the program are college students Ava Madera and Jason Rey Dela Torre of Surigao del Norte State University (SNSU).
“Every free ride translates into savings that can be used for other necessities. What may seem like a small amount for a single trip can make a significant difference when accumulated over days and weeks,” they said.
Amid rising prices and increasing costs of daily living, TASTODA continues to move forward-not only to sustain their livelihood, but to keep serving the students who rely on them.
Meanwhile, the DSWD’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) is a community-based capacity-building initiative designed to improve the socio-economic status of poor, vulnerable, and marginalized families in the Philippines. (SDR, PIA Surigao del Norte with a report from DSWD Caraga)
