The government will expand the distribution of P5,000 in fuel assistance to public transport drivers nationwide by April, following orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to speed up aid for drivers affected by rising fuel prices.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto said the nationwide rollout will begin once the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) finalize the list of beneficiaries.
The program aims to assist 396,352 public transport drivers in Metro Manila to “ease the pain at the gas pump and the pinch on their income.”
“Two wheels, three wheels, four wheels, six wheels. Basta namamasada susubukan na maisama sa programa (As long as they are operating public transport, we will try to include them in the program),” Recto assured.
“Prayoridad ng Pangulo na agad matulungan ang ating mga tsuper na biktima ng kaguluhan sa Middle East. Kaya inilarga na agad ang tulong-pasada na ito,” he added.
(It is the President’s priority to immediately help our drivers who are victims of the unrest in the Middle East. That is why this transport assistance was launched right away.)
The first payouts began on Tuesday, March 17, with 135,196 tricycle drivers receiving assistance through the joint efforts of the DSWD, DOTr, and local government units.
Recto said that “under their division of labor,” local government units will set up payout sites where eligible tricycle drivers can claim the aid.
Following the initial rollout, the program will also extend to transport network vehicle service drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, bus drivers, and jeepney drivers in Metro Manila.
Recto also said the government is preparing to launch a Libreng Sakay Program to help commuters—particularly students and workers—cope with rising prices of basic goods.
“We are doing an inventory of what we can deploy, and who can participate,” Recto said.
“There will be various modalities. We can deploy government-owned vehicles, for example. Or even contract buses and designate these as fare-free rides,” he said.
“We can also ask LGUs who run free bus services to extend the operating hours,” Recto added.
“Ang mahalaga, pag naipon ang lahat ng mga ’yan, malaki ang maitutulong sa mananakay (What matters is that when all these efforts are combined, they will greatly help commuters),” he said.
