The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is awaiting the release of ₱2.5 billion in fuel subsidies intended for transport workers affected by rising oil prices, officials said during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

At the Committee on Public Services hearing presided over by Senator Raffy Tulfo, DOTr Legal Service representative Atty. Noel Cruz Alarcon said the agency has already prepared the funds and is ready to roll them out once approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

According to Alarcon, the release was briefly delayed due to the requirement for certification from the Department of Energy (DOE) confirming that Dubai crude oil prices had reached at least $80 per barrel, a trigger for subsidy activation. The DOE has since issued the certification.

“We are just requesting for the DBM for the release of the ₱2.5 billion because before there was a little delay because we needed the certification from the Department of Energy that the Dubai crude oil prices has reached at least 80 US dollars per barrel, but DOE already issued the certification,” Alarcon told the panel.

The subsidy program will cover a wide range of transport workers, including those in public utility vehicles and delivery services.

The DOTr identified the following target beneficiaries:

• 233,314 drivers and operators of traditional and modern jeepneys

• Around 195,018 tricycle drivers

• Approximately 723,000 delivery riders

The agency also confirmed that transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers are included in the program.

Tulfo stressed the urgency of releasing the subsidies, noting the burden of rising fuel costs on drivers across the country.

The DOTr assured lawmakers that distribution can proceed immediately once the DBM releases the funds.