DSWD to finish cash aid payouts for PUV drivers by April 30

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is eyeing to finish the payouts of cash relief assistance (CRA) for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers by April 30.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian gave the commitment on Monday, noting that the payouts for PUV drivers in the provinces began on April 8 and that the target last day is before the end of April.

“By the end of the month, the target of DSWD is to fully payout at least one round for these transportation sector drivers inside and outside Metro Manila. ‘Yun po ang goal natin at ‘yan ang direktiba ng Pangulo – masigurado na walang tsuper o rider na maiiwanan (That is our goal and that is the President’s directive – ensure that no driver or rider is left behind),” Gatchalian told members of the Legislative Energy and Development joint committee at a House hearing.

It may be recalled that the DSWD has scheduled special payouts for both unclaimed and additional beneficiaries for PUV drivers in Metro Manila from April 14 to 19.

Gatchalian said the DSWD will tap digital payout methods for drivers with e-wallet accounts for subsequent cash aid payouts should fuel prices continue to surge.

He said the face-to-face payouts for the initial distribution of cash aid was done to ensure that all PUV drivers from lists endorsed to the DSWD are eligible beneficiaries.

“Now that we’ve done the first step at na-validate na namin at na-verify na namin ang mga beneficiaries, now in the succeeding steps, ‘yung mga sektor, katulad ng transport network vehicle service (TNVS), motorcycle (MC) taxi, delivery service, ‘yan yung mga mayroon na silang e-wallets,” Gatchalian said.

(Now that we’ve done the first step and we validated and verified the beneficiaries, now in the succeeding steps, sectors like the transport network vehicle service, motorcycle taxi, delivery service, these are the ones with e-wallets.)

“We’ve already tendered a request for quotations from all the players, and we should be able to partner with them in time for the next round of assistance,” the DSWD chief told congressmen.

“But that’s again for our sectors na mayroong e-wallets na ready. Kasi it might be too exclusionary pag ininsist namin lahat through e-wallets (Because it might be too exclusionary if we insist that all payouts be done through e-wallets),” he added. — JMA, GMA News