Cebu Province is set to roll out its “Tabang Pambyahe” program starting this Holy Week, initially covering pilot routes from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to Sibonga, and from IT Park to Danao City, on a round-trip basis.
Governor Pamela Baricuatro said the initiative aims to support commuters and the transport sector by providing subsidies to transport workers and partner bus operators.
She added that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) approved the province’s request for P20 million in funding under its Service Contracting Program. The subsidy will allow the deployment of additional trips along key routes to improve efficiency and reliability.
With more buses deployed, trips are expected to increase daily, with units loading and unloading passengers only at designated stops. The program targets bus availability every 15 minutes per stop, with dwell time limited to less than two minutes.
Extended operating hours will also be implemented for the IT Park–Danao route to meet commuter demand. Authorities expect the program to reduce passenger queues at terminals along the identified routes.
Under the initiative, drivers and transport workers will receive a per-kilometer subsidy on top of daily earnings, in exchange for complying with a strict “no standing” policy for passengers.
To ensure proper implementation, participating buses will be required to install CCTV cameras and GPS tracking systems, with the program to be managed directly by the provincial government.
The “Tabang Pambyahe” program is expected to complement the national government’s Libreng Sakay Program once fully implemented.
