Robredo wants TRAIN subsidy for fishermen, too

Vice President Leni Robredo wants to expand the fuel subsidy from the TRAIN law to fishermen, who also bear the brunt of high prices of gasoline which they use for their fishing boats.

"Iyong isang pinapakiusap natin, pati nga iyong mga mangingisda, isama [sa Pantawid Pasada], dahil dependent talaga sila sa gasolina,” Robredo said during a visit to communities in Tondo, Manila.

As a mitigating measure to the impact of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, the government crafted the Pantawid Pasada Program, which grants fuel subsidies to jeepney drivers and operators.

For this year, the program will cover a total of 179,852 jeepney units with existing franchise granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

From July to December 2018, each jeepney owner will receive P5,000 or P833 per month in subsidy, through an ATM debit card to be issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“Iyong amount ng Pantawid Pasada...kasya pa ba, o akma pa ba iyong amount, considering na hindi natin na-predict iyong kataasan ng presyo ng gasolina? Tingin ko, mas iyon [ang dapat] tingnan,” Robredo said.

Each jeepney driver is supposed to get P20,000 under the Pantawid Pasada Program next year, but it was reduced to P10,000 because the second batch of the excise tax on fuel under the TRAIN law will be suspended for the first three months of 2019. — LDF, GMA News