Govt starts giving P150-M fuel subsidy to tricycle drivers - DILG

The government, through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), has started distributing gasoline subsidy worth around P150 million to around one million tricycle operators in the Luzon. Interior Secretary Jesse Reobredo said in a statement on Tuesday that under the assistance program, called "Pantawid Pasada," an operator will receive for every tricycle unit a P150 fuel subsidy. Of the 990,514 tricycle franchise owners who will benefit from the program, 27 percent or 268,949 are from the Calabarzon Region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), 22 percent or 221,392 are from the Central Luzon Region, and 10.5 percent or 103,986 are from Metro Manila. “We hope that through this program, we will somehow be able to help tricycle owners in bearing the brunt of the oil price increases," Robredo said. The implementing guidelines of the "Pantawid Pasada" program were released Friday last week through a memorandum circular that was issued to the respective local government units. The DILG program was part of President Benigno Aquino III's Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), created through his Executive Order No. 32, aimed at cushioning the impact of high fuel prices both on the transport and commuter sector. Robredo stressed that the LGUs have total responsibility in implementing the subsidy program, starting off with preparing and certifying a list of tricycle franchisees, addresses and number of operating tricycles that would be covered by the program. Local government officials are also tasked to ensure that only those included in the certified list shall benefit from the subsidy. “In case of any violation, the official authorizing the same shall be held responsible for whatever expenses the government incurred for not strictly following said issuances," Robredo said. The Palace earlier estimated that the government's fuel subsidy program could only be carried out for only around two months. "Beyond that it’s difficult to say," said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang. The President two weeks ago has already urged oil companies to open their financial records to public scrutiny, amid the rising prices of fuel. Transport groups like Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) have already balked at the latest round of price hikes, and repeatedly called for the reduction of the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on oil and the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law. - VVP, GMA News