The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday announced that it will continue the distribution of fuel subsidies to the operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
LTFRB said this comes after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) approved its petition to be exempted from the spending ban for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE).
“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa agarang aksyon ng COMELEC sa aming petisyon at sa pang-unawa ng publiko lalo na ng ating mga stakeholder na naapektuhan ng pansamantalang delay sa pamamahagi ng fuel subsidy,” LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo 'Jojo' Guadiz III said.
"Tiyak naman po na magiging tuloy-tuloy na ang pamimigay natin ng fuel subsidy para makatulong sa ating mga stakeholder dulot ng oil price hike," he added.
As of Sept. 20, LTFRB said 63,864 PUV operators have received the fuel subsidy through digital banking such as e-wallet accounts, bank accounts, and fuel subsidy cards.
The agency earlier said that 1.36 million operators of PUVs, modern utility vehicles, tricycles, and private vehicles will benefit from the fuel subsidy program.
This month, the COMELEC exempted the cash assistance to small rice retailers of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and several programs of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) from the imposed election ban.
