THE Office of the Vice President-Southern Mindanao Satellite Office (OVP-SouthMin Satellite Office) announced the change in route of its “Libreng Sakay” in Davao City starting September 1, 2025.
“Simula Lunes, Setyembre 1, 2025, ang rutang Lasang-Roxas Avenue ay magiging Cabantian-Roxas Avenue na. Wala na po tayong biyaheng pa-Lasang (Starting Monday, September 1, 2025, the Lasang-Roxas Avenue route will be changed to Cabantian-Roxas Avenue route. There will no longer be trips going to Lasang),” the OVP-SouthMin Satellite Office wrote in their Facebook post on August 29, 2025.
Meanwhile, every Wednesday and Thursday, the Toril to Roxas route (vice versa), and on Fridays and Saturdays, the Calinan to Roxas Avenue route (vice versa) will operate.
The OVP Bus will depart from Indangan City Mall for the Cabantian-Roxas Avenue route; from Toril District Hall for the Toril-Roxas Avenue route; and from the Shell Gasoline Station in Calinan for the Calinan to Roxas Avenue route. The bus will stop along Roxas Avenue across Ateneo de Davao University.
The bus schedule runs from 5 to 9 a.m. and 5 until 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
The office said that the change in route was due to the decline in the number of daily passengers using the previous route. A study also revealed that shifting to another route would benefit more commuters, especially those who do not have sufficient access to public transportation options.
“The OVP emphasized that the route modification aims to maximize the program’s impact by accommodating more passengers and easing congestion in underserved areas of the city,” OVP said in its statement on Monday, September 1, 2025.
The program was launched in the city to help address the commuting problems of Dabawenyos especially during peak hours.
In August 2022, the OVP, together with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), launched the “Peak Hours Augmentation Bus Service (Phabs)- Libreng Sakay” at Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange in Parañaque City.
Vice President Sara Duterte initiated the implementation of the free bus ride to help Filipinos save fare expenses.
The free bus service was simultaneously launched in Metro Manila in Luzon, in the cities of Cebu, Lapulapu, Mandaue, and Bacolod in the Visayas, and Davao City in Mindanao.
The buses, which are Wifi-ready, were initially lent for OVP. However, Duterte said that it “would be more useful” if the vehicles were deployed in some key areas in the country to be used by the commuting public for free. RGP