Pangilinan urges taxi, trike, delivery drivers to avail of P7.5 billion fuel subsidy

Vice presidential aspirant and incumbent Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Saturday reminded taxi, tricycle, ride-hailing, and delivery service drivers to avail of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) expanded coverage of the P7.5 billion Fuel Subsidy Program in 2022.

During his virtual talk with a group of motorcycle riders, Pangilinan said the continuing rise in fuel prices affected the irregular earnings of motorcycle riders, thus they should make use of the fuel subsidy which now includes them as beneficiaries.

“Sobrang laki ng kinakain sa kita ng pagtaas ng krudo sa mga nagde-deliver ng pagkain at iba pang online orders. Kaya naman isinama natin sila sa dapat makatanggap ng fuel subsidy ng DOTr,” he said.

(The increase in fuel price eats up the salary of those who deliver food and online orders. That is why we included them among those who should receive the fuel subsidy of the DOTr.)

In December 2021, P7,200 fuel subsidies were made available to 136,230 public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers.

State-run Landbank credited the fuel subsidy to active Pantawid Pasada Program (PPP) cards of PUJ operators.

Pangilinan further compared the dilemma that motorcycle, taxi, and delivery riders currently face to when vendors were considered illegal four decades ago when he was chairperson of the University Student Council of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman.

He recalled that vendors at UP Diliman sought his help as they faced discrimination and eviction by the UP Police Force.

“Similar ang problema ng mga riders doon sa problema noon ng mga maliliit na manininda ng UP. Hindi sila ligal at sila ay hinuhuli ng UP Police Force dahil hindi sila kinikilala. Ngunit kami, mga estudyante at mga residente, ay kinikilala namin sila kasi sa kanila kami bumibili,” he said.

(The problem of the riders now is similar to the problem of the small traders of UP before. They were not legal and they were being arrested by the UP Police Force because they were not recognized. But we, students and residents recognize them because we buy from them.)

Pangilinan added that what they did in the community and youth sector was to organize the vendors and assist them.

This then led to the legalization and recognition by the UP administration of the ambulant vendors, who until today provide student-friendly food.

Pangilinan stressed that the motorcycle group Kagulong should also continue organizing so that their “Riders’ Agenda" would be recognized. This agenda calls for an end to any form of discrimination against delivery riders and the junking of the “Doble Plaka” law among others. — DVM, GMA News