The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it will start distributing fuel subsidies to operators of public transports beginning Wednesday, 13 September to help cushion the impact of high oil prices on the sector.
Under the Pantawid Pasada Program (PPP) or Fuel Subsidy Program (FSP), subsidy recipients include operators of public utility jeepneys, Filcabs, UV Express (UVE), minibuses, public utility buses, shuttle services, taxis, tourist transport services, school transport service, transportation network vehicle services, delivery services, and tricycles.
Each operator of modern PUJs and UVEs who qualify for the program will receive a P10,000 subsidy and P6,500 will be distributed to each operator of the other mentioned public transports, whether modern or not.
Under the leadership of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), each delivery service rider who qualifies will also be given a P1,200 subsidy while P1,000 will be provided to tricycle drivers under the administration of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said no public transport is favored under the subsidy program as all those who need it, whether modern or not, will receive it although the amount varies.
“The amount allocated to each beneficiary of the subsidy depends on how much petroleum products are consumed by the public transport,” Guadiz said.
“But I want to make it clear that it will benefit everyone. Modern or not. Consolidated or not. This subsidy is for all our operators who are struggling due to the successive increase in the price of petrol,” he added.
The LTFRB estimates some 1.36 million operators will receive the subsidy and of this number, 280,000 PUVs will benefit from the program, including 930,000 tricycles and 150,000 delivery services.
According to the official, the subsidy will be distributed through digital banks and e-wallet accounts, bank accounts, and fuel subsidy cards previously registered to FSP recipients.
“It is only necessary that the public transport franchise is valid or registered with the LTFRB to qualify as beneficiary of the program,” Guadiz said.
