DOTr allocates P2.5B for possible fuel subsidy, eyes Libreng Sakay

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday said it has set aside P2.5 billion for a possible fuel subsidy program for transport drivers as pump prices continue to climb amid the tensions in the Middle East.

“Yung sa fuel subsidy naman po natin which is P2.5 billion under DOTr, doon po yung merong po sinabi natin proportionate amount,” DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez told Super Radyo dzBB in an interview.

(As for our fuel subsidy which is P2.5 billion under DOTr, that's where we said we have a proportionate amount.)

“Kapag mas malaki yung gastos tulad ng bus, mas malaki po yung krudo na kanilang ginagagamit, mas malaki naman po yung naibibigay nating subsidiya and down the line,” he added.

(When the cost is bigger like for buses, the more crude oil they use, the bigger the subsidy we give and down the line.)

Lopez noted that DOTr’s subsidy fund will be released if global oil prices reach at least $80 per barrel for one calendar month, subject to certification from the Department of Energy (DOE).

“So, kapag yan nagsimula ng pagsirit ng presyo ng langis ng March 1,hintayin natin hanggang March 30,” Lopez said.

(When the price of oil started to skyrocket on March 1, let's wait until March 30.)

He noted that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is already working on its own P5,000 cash aid for public transport transport drivers while DOTr waits for the formal trigger of the fuel subsidy program.

Lopez said the fuel subsidy will cover transport workers regulated by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) under the DOTr:

• bus operators and drivers
• traditional and modern jeepney operators and drivers
• taxi drivers
• transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers
• delivery riders from different platforms
• tricycle drivers (beneficiary lists will come from local government units)

Transport workers may receive assistance from both the DSWD program and the DOTr fuel subsidy, according to Lopez.

Aside from subsidies for drivers and operators, the DOTr is also planning to offer free rides under the Libreng Sakay program to help commuters with the rising transportation costs.

Under the scheme, the government will pay transport operators and drivers through service contracting.

Lopez said the free ride program will be launched nationwide once the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) is released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News