P5k fuel subsidy for public transport drivers to roll out next week

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate distribution of a ₱5,000 fuel subsidy to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in Metro Manila.

According to a report by RH Leth Narciso, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the subsidy rollout in the National Capital Region (NCR) will begin next week, with support from local government units.

Recto said the assistance is intended to help jeepney, tricycle, and other PUV drivers cope with the impact of recent oil price hikes that have increased their daily operating costs amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

Recto convened Metro Manila mayors to discuss the distribution mechanism for the subsidy, to speed up the implementation of the program.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will lead the distribution of the assistance in coordination with local governments.

During a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the funds for the subsidy will come from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

Gatchalian explained that the affected drivers are being considered beneficiaries of crisis assistance because they are individuals directly facing financial hardship due to the ongoing geopolitical tensions affecting global oil prices.

National President of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, said local governments will submit to the DSWD the list of tricycle drivers in their respective areas to facilitate the distribution of the subsidy.

In Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said around 14,000 tricycle drivers are expected to benefit from the assistance, along with more than 1,000 jeepney drivers in the city.

Furthermore, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said tricycle drivers will be prioritized in the distribution, followed by jeepney drivers and other public utility vehicle operators.

Metro Manila mayors present during the Malacañang briefing included Zamora, Moreno, Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian, Pateros Mayor Gerald German, Las Piñas Mayor April Aguilar, Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, Pasay Mayor Emi Calixto, and Mandaluyong Mayor Menchie Abalos.

Following the initial rollout in Metro Manila, the government plans to implement fuel subsidy distribution in other regions nationwide.