The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday asked public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers who failed to meet the April 30 deadline for consolidation to avail of government livelihood programs.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said PUV drivers and operators may join the government’s Tsuper Iskolar and enTSUPERneur programs that provide free skills training, skills assessment and entrepreneurship training as alternative sources of income.
“We have a program called Entsuperneur and Tsuper Iskolar that TESDA will teach them and give them training for other livelihood opportunities,” Bautista said.
“Those who are no longer able to operate, we are happy to give them training for other sources of livelihood,” he said.
Under the Tsuper Iskolar initiative, beneficiaries are provided scholarship grants and skills training to improve their livelihood in line with the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
The EnTSUPERneur” program is in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that aims to provide alternative sources of income to PUV drivers and operators.
Bautisa said unconsolidated drivers and operators may join existing transport cooperatives to continue their livelihood.
“For those who have not yet consolidated… they can still join [cooperatives]. They just can’t operate. But they can work, they can apply, join existing cooperatives or corporations,” he said.