A TOTAL of 1,827,827 public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers nationwide have received cash relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as the payout for public transport groups affected by the oil price hike concluded on Tuesday.
Under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, the DSWD disbursed over P9.139 billion in cash aid.
‘June 30 was the final day of our cash relief distribution for PUV drivers and delivery riders affected by the increase in fuel prices. From March 17 to June 30, more than 1.8 million individuals received P5,000 each,’ DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said on Wednesday.
Of the total beneficiaries, tricycle drivers comprised the largest group with 1,200,009 recipients, followed by 314,530 delivery service riders and 119,030 jeepney drivers.
More than 104,000 motorcycle taxi drivers and 89,394 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers also received P5,000 each.
Based on lists submitted by local governments (LGUs), transport network companies (TNCs), the Private Express and Messengerial Delivery Service Sector (Pemedes), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), around 2.4 million PUV drivers were initially expected to benefit from the program.
Dumlao explained that the gap between the projected and actual number of beneficiaries may be due to individuals who are no longer working as PUV drivers.
‘The nationwide payouts ran for nearly three and a half months. As you may recall, the DSWD also conducted several special payout schedules to accommodate those who were not included on the initial list or were unable to attend their assigned schedules. Some of these individuals may no longer be PUV drivers, while others may no longer be in the country,’ she said.
The cash relief assistance, provided under the AICS program, forms part of the Department’s commitment to the Marcos administration’s Unified Package for Livelihood, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) framework, which aims to support sectors most affected by rising oil prices, including the public transport sector.
The initiative is also in line with the directive of President Marcos for government agencies to work in coordination to deliver appropriate interventions to sectors heavily impacted by the Middle East conflict.
Relief for quake victims
THE department has so far extended more than P771 million worth of humanitarian aid to families affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck parts of southern Mindanao.
Based on DSWD data, included in the total amount were 676,987 boxes of family food packs (FFPs), 17,545 non-food items (NFIs), and 13,595 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes that were distributed in Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), Region 11 (Davao Region), Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In a statement on Wednesday, Dumlao, who heads the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group said relief operations continue for affected families in Mindanao.
‘Alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Marcos, ang DSWD ay patuloy na magbabahagi ng tulong hanggang sa maka-recover at makabalik sa dati nilang pamumuhay ang mga kababayan nating naapektuhan ng malakas na lindol sa Mindanao [In line with the directives of President Marcos, the DSWD will continue to distribute assistance until the affected families return to their normal lives],’ Dumlao said.
On June 30, the DSWD’s Field Office 11 distributed sleeping kits and kitchen kits donated by the People’s Republic of China to affected families in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.
In Soccsksargen (Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City), the DSWD FO12 also facilitated the distribution of kitchen kits, sleeping kits and solar lights donated by the Chinese government to families in Pangyan and Burias in Glan, Sarangani, while family tents and solar lights were provided to evacuees in Malapatan, Sarangani.
With the help of the Navy (PN) ship BRP Agta (LC-882), 4,900 FFPs and 1,092 sleeping kits donated by the Republic of China (Taiwan) are set to arrive in Balut Island on Wednesday.
As part of the Department’s commitment to help in the early recovery of affected residents, the various FOs are also currently providing Emergency Cash Transfer aid.
Meanwhile, the DSWD continues to replenish supplies in Sarangani and General Santos to ensure the uninterrupted distribution of relief goods in heavily affected areas.