Cash aid released for over 63,000 PUV operators; fuel subsidy exempted from poll spending ban

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has granted the petition of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to exempt the distribution of fuel subsidy from the spending ban for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

The spending ban was the reason why the LTFRB failed in its announcement to release the cash assistance to public utility vehicle (PUV) operators on Sept. 13.

LTFRB Chairman Teofillo Guadiz III said they immediately filed a petition along with the Department of Transportation to exempt the fuel subsidy program from the election spending ban.

 “This was the reason for the delay in the release of the fuel subsidy. We express gratitude to the Comelec for its immediate action on our petition. With the Comelec’s approval, we have already started releasing the fund,” said Guadiz.

Based on the data from the LTFRB, the fuel subsidy was already credited to a total of 63,864 PUV operators across the country. 

Around 1.36 million beneficiaries would be receiving the one-time cash assistance—280,000 of them are PUVs; 930,00 are tricycle operators while 150,000 are delivery service riders.

Under the guideline, Guadiz said a total of P10,000 one-time cash assistance will be given to each operator of PUJs and UVEs while P6,500 for each operator of other PUVs.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Trade and Industry will take the lead in the distribution of P1,200 subsidy for each delivery service rider, while P1,000 each for each tricycle operator which will be supervised by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the local government units. 

Most of the beneficiaries are operators of Traditional Public Utility Jeepney (TPUJ) while the rest are operators of the Modern Public Utility Jeepney (MPUJ), Public Utility Bus (PUB), Mini-bus (MB), Tourist Transport Services (TTS), School Transport Services (STS) and Filcab.

“We assure our stakeholders that the fuel subsidy distribution will continue in order to help them amid the series of oil price hikes,” said Guadiz. (MB)