Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), the official Philippine distributor of the leading Korean auto brand in the country, and Petron Corporation, the country’s largest oil company, forged a new partnership to support the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Libreng Sakay program.

Libreng Sakay ensures continued mobility for health workers and front liners, with 20 defined routes and designated drop-off and pick-up points for medical workers.

Last May, under the its Ligtas Biyahe vehicle project, HARI formally turned over three COVID-Ready Vehicles that will serve the DOTr program. Hyundai developed and produced this special COVID-ready lineup based on its best-selling H-100 Shuttle, HD36 Shuttle, and Modern Jeepney HD50S Class 2. Said units have been declared highly-compliant with the DOTr’s guidelines for the transport sector under ECQ/GCQ. These vehicles, the first in the auto industry, showcase contact-less payment systems, individualized seating, plastic dividers, and features for sanitation.

To date, the Hyundai shuttles have served over 3,000 medical front liners, including doctors, to ensure uninterrupted patient care in Metro Manila.

“With Petron as our partner, expect our Ligtas Biyahe vehicles to be at optimal service for our front liners as we move towards a better normal. This cements our commitment to provide the riding public vehicles that are safe and convenient in these challenging times,” said HARI President and CEO, Maria Fe Perez-Agudo.

“We are pleased to join Hyundai in its Ligtas Biyahe program as its official fuel partner, as we look to further our mobility aid efforts by offering free fuel to the DOTr and MMDA, giving fuel discounts to frontliners, and making essential food items available at our service stations together with our parent company, San Miguel Corporation,” said Petron President and CEO Mr. Ramon S. Ang.

Since March, Petron has been actively supporting the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its Petron Foundation, the company has focused its assistance to doctors, nurses, and other hospital personnel by donating complete sets of PPEs to several COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila, as well as pre-loaded PVCs, through funds raised from its Petron Value Cards (PVC) donation drive. Petron also initiated a number of COVID-19 efforts focused on helping its scholars and fenceline communities.

“Since we began our commercial vehicle business in 2016, we have strongly supported PUV Modernization. The situation, however, has drastically changed and we have quickly adapted our vehicles in order to keep on serving the public. In just a few weeks since its conceptualization, we were able to manufacture vehicles that now allow hundreds, if not thousands of Filipinos, to get to their destination with the safety and peace of mind provided by these COVID-ready vehicles,” Ms. Agudo added.

Hyundai’s H-100 Class 1 Modern Jeepney and HD50S Class 2 Modern Jeepney received their Certificates of Compliance (COC) from the DOTr late last year; while the HD50S Class 3 Modern Jeepney, which debuted in January 2020, is poised to undergo the Department’s stringent testing.
The HARI chief reiterated that the company continues to closely monitor developments in the country in order to develop new ways to assist customers and the general public as the country transitions to the Better Normal lifestyle.