Over 600,000 tricycle drivers to receive fuel subsidy —DILG

A total of 617,806 qualified tricycle drivers nationwide are now set to receive their fuel cash subsidy, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said 148,784 of the 766,590 tricycle drivers who applied for the fuel subsidy were disqualified due to a lack of means of verification like driver's license numbers, incomplete e-wallet information, or names submitted after the deadline.

“Lahat ng nasa masterlist ng qualified tricycle drivers ay makakatanggap ng fuel subsidy. Hintayin na lang po natin ang abiso ng LTFRB para sa mga detalye at karagdagang impormasyon,” Año said.

(All those who are in the masterlist of qualified tricycle drivers will receive fuel subsidy. Let’s just wait for the advisory of the LTFRB for the details and further information.)

Earlier, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2022-047 ordering the LGUs to submit a validated list of tricycle drivers; tricycle franchisees; addresses; electronic wallet accounts; and the number of operating tricycles and other details within their respective jurisdictions.

These details must be vetted by the Head of the Tricycle Franchising Board and the head of the local Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association.

Ways of getting the subsidy

The subsidy will be distributed in three batches.

The first batch is for the 539,395 trike drivers who were able to provide an e-wallet account, according to the DILG.

The second batch will be the 73,233 drivers who will avail of the over-the-counter transactions at the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) branch nearest to them.

Meanwhile, the third batch will cover 5,178 drivers who will avail of on-site payout at the LGUs, the DILG said.

The department also urged LGUs to set up a Pantawid Pasada Assistance and Complaint Desk or Hotline in their respective areas to address concerns and complaints from the beneficiaries on the list and availment of the subsidy.

On June 22, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it has given Landbank a debit advice to credit the subsidy of 68,000 beneficiaries.

Divided into two tranches, the government’s P5-billion fuel subsidy program aims to extend P6,500 cash grants to beneficiaries to help them recover from the high prices of fuel. — Joviland Rita and Sundy Locus/BM, GMA News