Manila: The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has been prioritizing fuel tankers in its 'Libreng Sakay' (free trip) program to facilitate the crossing of the San Juanico Strait between this city and Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar, amid the current bridge crisis.

According to Philippines News Agency, as of July 21, the government-sponsored free roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) trip has successfully transported 130 fuel tankers from Leyte Island to Samar Island since the program's launch on June 18, 2025. This initiative supports the continued operations of small power utilities and other vital services, especially amid the transport challenges brought about by the weight restriction at the San Juanico Bridge, OCD Eastern Visayas regional director Lord Byron Torrecarion stated in a phone interview on Wednesday.

The free trip program is designed to cover cargo trucks and delivery vehicles that officially transport essential and perishable goods such as food, medicine, water, animal feed, and fuel. It also includes government and humanitarian vehicles on official duty carrying relief goods or logistical support for disaster response operations.

To facilitate this initiative, the OCD has contracted the landing craft tank LCT Edison to undertake 633 trips across the San Juanico Strait. The 'Libreng Sakay' program operates both day and night, aiming to alleviate the burden on supply chain partners and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of basic services to communities, as emphasized by Torrecarion.

Through the 'Libreng Sakay' program, the OCD reaffirms its commitment to maintaining lifeline services and empowering communities by providing responsive and resilient logistics solutions. The newly established Amandayehan-Tacloban route complements existing shipping lanes, significantly reducing travel time to 15 to 20 minutes, excluding loading and unloading, compared to the 13-hour Calbayog-Ormoc route.