The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Monday released about P134 million for the government's Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP) or "Pantawid Pasada" which would benefit thousands of tricycle franchisees nationwide. In a statement issued on Monday, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said a total amount of P134,403,600 was released to its 16 regional offices. This amount will be then released to 896,024 certified tricycle franchisees in the country who are among the target beneficiaries of the PTAP that would partly subsidize their average fuel consumption. Under the program, each tricycle franchise owner shall receive a one-time gasoline subsidy of P150 per tricycle unit. "While there was a slight decrease of oil prices this week, still, this subsidy would spell a big difference to our tricycle franchise owners who just rely on daily boundary earnings to support their family," Robredo said. The 'Pantawid Pasada' program was created by Executive Order No. 32 of President Benigno Aquino III as an attempt to cushion the impact of soaring fuel prices on the marginalized sectors of the society. According to Robredo, the highest subsidy will go to the following regions:
Region III - P33,208,800 for 221,392 tricycle units Region IV-A - P28,397,400 for 189,316 tricycles NCR - P14,698,650 for 97,991 units On the other hand, the regions with the lowest subsidy are: Region XIII - P1,626,150 for 10,841 tricycle units Cordillera Administrative Region - P1,418,400 for 9,456 units. Robredo also urged local government units to provide counterpart funding in order to help tricycle franchise owners bear the rising oil prices. The DILG earlier released the implementing guidelines of the release of the tricycle subsidy under the "Pantawid Pasada" program. Under the guidelines, the concerned DILG regional office shall forge a memorandum of agreement with the concerned local chief executives who shall make the preparation and certification of the list of tricycle franchisees, addresses and number of operating tricycles. The list shall serve as a reference document in the computation of the subsidy by the DILG regional and field offices. Prior to the release of the fuel subsidy, the mayors, in coordination with DILG field officials, shall also conduct local information drives and devise an organized and orderly distribution system for the transport assistance program. Also, Robredo said the mayors shall set-up a PTAP Assistance and Complaint Desk that would receive feedback and address the complaints of the beneficiaries. "It shall be the responsibility of the LGU concerned to strictly implement the provisions of the Executive Order, rules and regulations relative to the tricycle subsidy program," Robredo said. — Emmanuel Louis Bacani/RSJ, GMA News 
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