The Electric Jeepney: a facility-partner in community service in De La Salle Uni-Dasmarinas

Abstract

This study is about the Electric Jeepney (Ejeep Ikot Lasalle) vehicles operated by the Parents Organization of Lasalle Cavite, Inc. (POLCA) in De La Salle University-Dasmarinas (DLSU-D). These vehicles were acquired by POLCA with the intention of contributing to and partnering with the University in community service. As a premiere university in Cavite, De La Salle University-Dasmarinas ensures that the three important components in educational management and operations are successfully carried out, one of which is through an enriched community service program. As an active partner of the university POLCA has ventured into several projects and programs to service the needs of the Lasallian Community. The most visible and noteworthy of its projects is the operation of the Electric Jeepney (EJeep Ikot Lasalle) which was conceptualized after the first diesel-run Ikot Lasalle has been very successful in carrying out the objectives of community service. Furthermore, the electric jeepney concept was realized in the organization's sincere efforts of working hand in hand with the university ideals of a carbon-neutral campus and living up to being an environment friendly university. The objective of the study is to explore the extent of community service involvement of the Electric Jeepney operations in De La Salle University-Dasmarinas; in terms of evaluating the serviceability of the vehicles from the view of the operator as to the number of trips per day and the average number of passengers serviced. The general findings revealed that community service involvement thru the operation of the Electric Jeepney has not been limited only to the number of passengers serviced and trips made in a day but likewise, the significant contribution it has made to the university's scholarship fund. Further the extent of community service as revealed was also expressed in terms of 'sacrificed' earnings on the part of the operator as shown in their income/expense presentation. The study concluded that the Electric Jeepney as a facility in the De La Salle University-Dasmarinas campus is indeed actively partnering in the community service component of the university. However, to sustain such active partnering, the study recommended that an additional vehicle be acquired to even more sustain servicing a bigger number of the community and likewise set the trend for a possible conversion of existing gas/diesel-run vehicles into electricity-operated ones for the supplier/maker of these electric vehicles to consider in their research and development area. For De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, a review of the possibility of adopting a policy of limiting the number of gas/diesel-run vehicles should be made to encourage members of the community to explore the options of possible conversion.