Cebu City tricycle drivers set to receive fuel subsidy

Tricycle drivers wait for passengers while their units are parked along SB Cabahug Street in Barangay Centro in Mandaue City. | CDN Digital file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Eligible tricycle drivers in Cebu City are set to receive financial assistance through the national government’s Fuel Subsidy Program, following the release of the implementation guidelines by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In order to facility an orderly distribution here, Councilor James Cuenco, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, authored a resolution requesting the Office of the Mayor to create an Ad Hoc Committee to facilitate the proper implementation of the program.

His resolution was approved by Council members during their regular session on August 28.

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Cuenco said that the Ad Hoc Committee will be tasked to receive and verify certifications issued to tricycle driver beneficiaries (TDBs) by the tricycle franchise holders and come up with a master list of all the beneficiaries here.

In addition, the committee will be the one to submit the list to the DILG Field Office within the prescribed timeline for submission.

“The DILG Central Office shall then submit the National Masterlist of TDBs to the Department of Transportation – Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (DOTr-LTFRB), who shall then distribute the subsidy,” read part of the resolution.

Fuel Subsidy Program

DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2024-105 said that the Fuel Subsidy Program, otherwise known as the Pantawid Pasada Program, aims to help tricycle drivers who were badly affected by the rise in fuel prices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

For 2024, at least P600, 000 was allocated for the program’s implementation in the country with each of the TDBs receiving P1, 000.

Among the program beneficiaries are tricycle drivers from Cebu City.

Cuenco said in his resolution that there is a need for thorough coordination among various city departments to ensure the timely and accurate disbursement of funds.

Masterlist

According to the DILG’s guidelines released on July 30, the consolidated local master list will be forwarded to their central office, which will then endorse it to the Department of Transportation-Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (DOTr-LTFRB) for the distribution of the fuel subsidy.

DILG urged Local Government Units (LGUs) to expedite the submission of their respective lists to ensure that eligible tricycle drivers can promptly receive their subsidies.

Tricycle drivers who will not receive the subsidy during the initial phase of implementation may still be considered in future expansions of the program, subject to the availability of funds.