72-year-old jeepney driver meets DSWD chief after viral ayuda exclusion incident

Jaime Ricafrente, the 72-year-old jeepney driver who went viral online after his name was not included in the list of cash assistance beneficiaries, met Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) chief Rex Gatchalian on Thursday. 

According to JP Soriano’s report, Ricafrente went to the DSWD office, where he was welcomed by Gatchalian. 

Ricafrente became emotional in his media interviews earlier after failing to get any cash assistance from their local government unit amid the rising price of petroleum products. 

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB earlier in the day, Gatchalian said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed him to look for Ricafrente. 

“Bukod sa hinanap natin si Mang Jaime…Una, tutulungan natin siya. Pangalawa, napag-utusan talaga ako personal ng Pangulo natin dahil nakarating sa kanya yung mensahe ni Mang Jaime. Ang instruction sa akin ng Pangulo na sigurudahin ko na mahanap ko kahapon si Mang Jaime at kagabi nahanap na namin,” he said. 

(Aside from looking for Mang Jaime… First, we are going to help him. Second, I was personally ordered by our President because Mang Jaime's message reached him. The President’s instruction to me was to ensure that I find Mang Jaime yesterday, and last night, we found him.) 

After his interviews went viral on social media, the Manila Department of Social Welfare also extended its assistance to Ricafrente. He was provided with cash aid, one sack of rice, and grocery items. 

The DSWD handed cash assistance to Ricafrente. While he expressed gratitude for the aid, the elderly driver appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help them secure their jobs.

“Maraming, maraming salamat po sa tulong na ipinagkaloob sa akin. Pero ang kailangan po namin ay trabaho. Napakahirap po ng walang hanapbuhay. Ayaw po namin ng ayuda, hanapbuhay po ang kailangan namin,” he told reporters.

(Thank you very, very much for the assistance you’ve given me. But what we really need is work. It is extremely difficult to be without a livelihood. We don’t want cash aid—we need a job.)

Further, the DSWD clarified that the list of beneficiaries came from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). 

“Gusto ko lang linawin na yung listahan na ginagamit ng DSWD sa mga payout center, hindi ‘yan nanggaling sa amin, nanggaling ‘yan sa LTFRB,” Gatchalian told Super Radyo dzBB. 

(I just want to clarify that the list being used by the DSWD at the payout centers did not come from us, it came from the LTFRB.) 

Gatchalian also noted that one of the reasons some public utility jeepney drivers are not on the list is that some of them are moonlighting in other transport sectors. 

“May mga driver na suma-sideline din sa ibang sector. Halimbawa, mayroong mga driver na kasama sa payout namin bukas, nakita namin yung mga pangalan, nasa MC-Taxi, sa Saturday pa yung payout nila,” the DSWD chief explained. 

(There are drivers who are moonlighting in other sectors. For example, there are drivers who are part of our payout tomorrow; we saw their names are under MC Taxi, and their payout is actually on Saturday.) 

“Mayroon kaming natagpuan na ibang driver ng PUJ, wala nga sa listahan ng PUJ dahil binura sila ng LTFRB pero nandoon sila sa listahan for Saturday, sa MC Taxi. So makakatanggap sila,” Gatchalian added. 

(We found other PUJ drivers who were indeed not on the PUJ list because they were removed by the LTFRB, but they are on the list for Saturday under MC Taxi. So, they will receive assistance.) 

To resolve the issue of missing names, the DSWD said that it will help the LTFRB in crafting the list of beneficiaries. 

“Tutulungan na ng dswd ang ltfrb sa pag-hubog ng listahan. Next week, sa Tuesday, dadayo kami sa mga LGUs mismo, uupan namin yung mga JODA (Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations) groups…Uupan namin isa-isa at tutumpukin namin, ilan ba sa miyembro mo ang hindi nakasama,” said Gatchalian. 

(The DSWD will now assist the LTFRB in crafting the list. Next week, on Tuesday, we will go directly to the LGUs (Local Government Units) and sit down with the JODA (Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations) groups… We will sit down with them one by one and pinpoint exactly how many of their members were not included.)  

“Pagpunta namin sa mga LGUs next week, pwede namin isa-isahin yung  mga pangalan ng mga nawawala at tukuyin kung nawala or nasama sa ibang sector,” he added. 

(When we go to the LGUs next week, we can go through the names of those missing one by one and determine if they were truly left out or if they were included in a different sector.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News