Over P3.2-B worth of payouts disbursed to PUV drivers across PH, says DSWD

More than P3.2 billion in payout benefits have been distributed to public utility drivers in the Philippines as part of government efforts to mitigate the effects of increasing fuel prices caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Thursday Media Forum, a total of P1,598,390,000 in payouts have been served to 319,678 individuals as of Wednesday.

On March 17 to 30, payouts were made to tricycle drivers, TNVS drivers, PUJ drivers, delivery services drivers, and MC taxi drivers.

Special distribution for unclaimed payouts have been undertaken since April 8.

Meanwhile, P1,612,885,000 in payouts have been distributed to 322,577 beneficiaries in regional offices.

Only tricycle drivers are those currently receiving benefits.

In total, the DSWD has distributed P3,211,275,000 in payouts nationwide.

Errors and corrections

DSWD Crisis Intervention Program Director III Edwin Morata said that beneficiary lists did not come from the department, but were sourced from local governments, TODAs, TNVS, and other partner organizations.

“Kung saan nagkakamali, maaaring the encoding pa lang… Basically, when they submitted the list to LTFRB, ang alam po namin wala na po editing capacity ang LTFRB. Kasi kung ano po ang sinubmit sa kanila, iyun lang po ang i-entertain nila because the duplication process, what we call cross-matching, is being done by DSWD,” Morata said.

(Regarding where mistakes could have been made, it could come from the encoding… Basically, when they submitted the list to LTFRB, and from the LTFRB has no editing capacity, as far as we know. Because whatever was submitted to them, that’s what they will entertain because the duplication process, what we call cross-matching, is being done by the DSWD.)

“Kami rin po ay wala rin po kaming editing capacity, so we will run the list based on what is forwarded to us,” added Morata.

(We also have no editing capacity, so we will run the list based on what is forwarded to us.)

DSWD said there is an understanding between the agency and the first batch that encountered errors.

“Hindi yata na-validate ng mga claimants ‘yung listahan na napadala or naisulat doon, kasi na-experience namin na karamihan sometimes handwritten. Talagang pen and paper ang sinubmit na listahan sa amin,” Morata said.

(The claimants weren’t able to validate the lists that were sent or written there, because most of them were handwritten from our experience. The lists submitted to us were really made by pen and paper.)

They noted that no “clean master list” currently exists but that they are now working towards an improved database.

Proactive steps are now being conducted to mitigate these issues, including on-site name corrections and official explanations for denied claimants. —RF, GMA News