Marcos okays P10-per-liter fuel subsidy for PUVs

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced a P10-per-liter fuel subsidy for public utility vehicles (PUV) to ease the burden of drivers and operators amid the fuel price increases caused by the crisis in the Middle East.

In a video message on Thursday, Marcos said the fuel subsidy for PUVs would be capped at 150 liters per week, adding that it would be implemented for three months. It will be implemented first in Metro Manila. 

''Magpapatupad tayo ng P10 kada litro na bawas para sa public utility vehicle na may maximum na 150 liters kada linggo sa loob ng tatlong buwan,'' Marcos said.

''Sisimulan muna natin ito sa NCR sa susunod na linggo. Una sa Commonwealth, palalawakin natin ito sa mga susunod na araw sa Quezon Avenue, España, Zapote, A. Bonifacio, Rizal, at Marcos Highway hanggang mapalawak natin ito sa buong bansa,'' he added.

This measure also seeks to prevent the increase in the prices of basic goods and commodities, Marcos said.

''Ang fuel subsidy ay ipapatupad lamang sa mga lehitimong gasoline station na aprubado at mino-monitor ng Department of Energy upang masigurong mapupunta ito sa tama at hindi ito maabuso,'' he added.

Marcos said on Wednesday that the Philippines would take advantage of the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran to secure as much as possible the country's petroleum supply.

An oil industry source said motorists may expect a slight sigh of relief in the coming week amid the two-week ceasefire.

Marcos also announced a service contracting program that will pay public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators P40 to P100 per kilometer, and give PUV passengers a 20% discount in fares.

He said the program will be implemented by the Department of Transportation starting on April 15 and will cover 50,000 PUVs, 1,000 operators, and 15 million passengers nationwide.

Marcos said the service contracting program would be implemented during off-peak hours to ensure that commuters would have public transportation even outside the rush hours.

"Lahat ng sasali ay may GPS monitoring para naman matiyak na actual ang biyahe at maayos ang serbisyo. Patuloy ang biyahe, patuloy ang hanapbuhay," Marcos said.

(Those who will join will have GPS monitoring to ensure good service for commuters. Travel will not be disrupted, and the job of drivers will also continue.)

''Sa ilalim ng programang ito, babayaran namin ang ating mga operator at driver mula P40 hanggang P100 kada kilometro,'' Marcos said.

(Under this program, we will pay operators and drivers with P40 to P100 per kilometer. This is an additional profit for them.) 

Marcos added that at least 20% fare discount would be given to commuters to ease their burden amid the impact of the oil price shocks.

''Para naman sa mga commuter, may kasamang hindi bababa sa 20 porsyento na diskwento sa pamasahe. Ang mga ruta ay nakatuon sa mga lugar na may koneksyon sa tren at pangunahing mga bus route upang maging mas maayos, mabilis at maaasahan ang biyahe,'' Marcos said.

(For commuters, they have at least 20% fare discount. The routes will include those areas that are connected with trains as well as the primary bus routes to ensure a smooth and swift travel.) 
 
''Ipapatupad ito sa buong bansa. Sasaklaw sa humigit-kumulang 50,000 na PUV, 1,000 operator at aabot sa 15 milyong pasahero,'' he added.

(This will be implemented across the country, which will cover 50,000 PUVs, 1,000 operators, and more or less 15 million commuters.)

Marcos said on Wednesday that the Philippines would take advantage of the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran to secure as much petroleum as possible.

An oil industry source said motorists may expect a slight rollback in fuel prices in the coming week after the ceasefire declaration. —LDF/NB, GMA News