PASSENGER jeepney drivers in Central Visayas may receive by next month the national government’s cash fuel subsidy as coursed through the Pantawid Pasada Program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
Asst. Transportation Secretary Mard de Leon told reporters that the distribution of cash cards for the fuel subsidy program will start in the provinces outside Metro Manila next month.
De Leon said passenger jeepney owners or operators shall receive one cash card per unit.
DOTr will load each cash card with P5,000 fuel subsidy for 2018 which is payable until December; the fuel subsidy in 2019 will cover P20,000.
De Leon said the drivers of each jeepney shall claim their respective cash cards from their operators whom DOTr is in direct contact with.
“We don’t have an existing ID system for the drivers that is why it will be hard for us to identify who will be the legitimate beneficiaries if we will give them directly to the drivers,” De Leon said.
The Pantawid Pasada Program will subsidize the additional fuel cost of the 179,852 jeepneys with existing franchises to offset the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law.
In Central Visayas, there are 20,000 jeepneys with existing franchises registered at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7).
The jeepney’s plate number is noted in every cash card to make sure that the card will only be used for every designated unit.
De Leon said the cash cards will be canceled if it will be used to purchase any item other than fuel for the jeepney.