PNoy's fuel subsidy dilemma: How to pick ‘deserving farmers’?

How do we identify deserving farmers and fisherfolk? This dilemma remains as the biggest hurdle for the government in including farmers and fisherfolk as beneficiaries of its fuel subsidy program. “Ang balakid sa atin sa ngayon, paano ba natin ma-identify kung sino talaga iyong karapat-dapat matulungan," President Benigno Aquino III said in an interview with reporters Thursday. (The obstacle for us now is, how do we identify those who really deserve our help?) “Sa mangingisda, wala namang prangkisa sa pangingisda, wala rin dun sa mga may-ari ng mga equipments. Sino bang maliliit na dapat matulungan," he added. (In the case of fisherfolk, there are no fishing franchises, and we can’t also merely base on ownership of equipment. So who are the small ones needing our help?) He said he wanted to be sure that those who will be included in the Pantawid Pasada program are the targeted sectors. “Gusto lang nating manigurado na hindi maraming makakapagsamantala, dahil nga hindi kasing-defined iyong targeted sector dito. Iyon lang ang balakid. Pag naayos na natin iyan, makikipagtulungan marahil sa LGUs mapagsama-sama na natin iyong programa," Aquino said. (We merely want to be sure to avoid the many who would take undue advantage, because the targeted sector here is not as well-defined [as in the transport sector]. That’s the only obstacle. Once we solve that, we’ll probably join hands with local governments to integrate the program.) Despite this, he said his administration will not stop looking for ways to help alleviate the lives of Filipinos affected by the series of oil price hikes. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala had said on Tuesday farmers and fisherfolk will be included in the fuel assistance program. (See: DA chief: Fuel subsidy now covers farmers, fisherfolk) Alcala said he already submitted to Energy Secretary Rene Almendras a list of the beneficiaries, which he was asked to do after the proposal to provide fuel subsidy to the public transportation sector was presented to the Cabinet. The list of potential fisherfolk beneficiaries were gathered from the records of the Philippine Coast Guard and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), while the lists of tractors and water irrigation pumps (as basis for identifying farmer beneficiaries) were collated from the registered traders and municipal agriculturists nationwide. But in an interview Wednesday, Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, said the idea of including farmers and fisherfolk is still being studied due to limited government funds. (See: Malacañang: Fuel subsidy for farmers, fishers not yet sure) Aquino earlier issued Executive Order No. 32 instituting the Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP) or “Pantawid Pasada" program of the government that initially allots P450 million to assist drivers and operators of public utility vehicles. The program will partially subsidize the average consumption of identified public transport groups, provided that they have legitimate franchises under the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). They will use “smart cards" to be issued soon by the Department of Energy. In a separate press briefing in Malacañang Thursday, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said they are open to increase the amount of fuel subsidy to affected transport sectors once the Department of Energy (DOE) gets the exact number of target owners of passenger jeepneys and tricycles. “The amount of subsidy ay puwedeng dagdagan depende sa [may increase depending on the] number of jeepneys and tricycles," Lacierda said, adding that the list of registered public utility jeepneys and tricycles is now being validated by the DOE. On the release of “smart cards," Lacierda said the May 1-2 target date for distributing the cards to jeepney and tricycle operators is possible after the procurement and bidding process was completed Wednesday. “Nagkaroon na ng bidding process at may mga sponsors na magbabayad doon sa pagpapagawa ng mga smart cards. So, in effect walang ilalabas na pondo ang gobyerno sa pagpapagawa ng cards, we’re just finalizing the agreements sa mga sponsors," he said. (A bidding process was conducted and we got sponsors to pay for the production of smart cards. So, in effect, the government need not release funds for producing the cards. We’re just finalizing the agreement with the sponsors.) With that development, he said, the entire P450 million fund for the Pantawid Pasada assistance program remains intact, and the savings in the printing of cards can now be funneled directly to the jeepneys and tricycles. Each smart card will carry a load of P1,050 per card (P35 per day) and will be issued to some 268,245 public utility jeepney (PUJ) franchise holders nationwide, while almost 1 million tricycle drivers will get P150 fuel subsidy each (P5 per day).—JV, GMA News