DSWD: 1.6M PUV drivers given P5k cash relief aid to cope with higher oil prices

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it has disbursed P8.214 million in cash relief assistance so far to 1,642,837 public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers across the country affected by the high prices of fuel due to the Middle East conflict.

“Tuloy-tuloy pa din po ang ating payout para siguraduhing lahat ng kwalipikado ay makakatanggap ng cash aid alinsunod sa utos ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na bigyan ng tulong ang mga PUV drivers sa gitna ng epekto ng pagtaas ng presyo ng produktong petrolyo,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao in a statement.

(Our payout is still ongoing to ensure that all those who are qualified will receive cash aid in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to give aid to PUV drivers amid the impact of the high prices of petroleum products.)

“Mahigpit na bilin niyang walang maiiwanang kwalipikadong mga drivers,” she added.

(He stressed that no qualified drivers should be left behind.)

The breakdown of the driver-beneficiaries are as follows:

• 1,120,845 tricycle drivers
• 248,660 service delivery drivers
• 116,301 public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers
• 88,769 motorcycle (MC) taxi drivers
• 68,262 transport network vehicle services (TNVS) drivers

“Tinitingnan din ng pamahalaan kung kakailanganin pa ng second batch ng cash relief assistance para sa transport sector dahil hindi pa naman tuluyang bumabalik sa dati ang presyo ng petrolyo, at magdedepende pa rin ang lahat sa magiging sitwasyon natin sa mga susunod na araw,” Dumlao said.

(The government is also studying if there is a need for a second batch of cash relief assistance for the transport sector, because the price of petroleum products has not yet returned to its previous prices. It will depend on the situation in the coming days.)

The P5,000 cash relief assistance is under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

It is also a core component of the Marcos administration’s Unified Package of Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) framework to address the impact of the Middle East crisis on fuel prices and the economy. — JMA, GMA News