P3 billion allotted to drivers for fuel subsidy: LTFRB

MANILA — Government has allotted some P3 billion worth of fuel subsidy for public transport drivers, an official from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Friday. 

It was still unclear how many drivers will benefit from this, as the LTFRB and transportation department will follow guidelines from the national spending plan, said Joel Bolano, the agency's head on technical division. 

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Beneficiaries must have franchises, so their drivers must be identified just like the previous release of fuel subsidies.

"Well doon po sa batas, sa GAA, ang nakalagay po doon is PUV – walang nakalagay na driver," Bolano said during a public briefing. 

"So basically ang talagang tinitingnan natin dito lalo na po iyong sa LTFRB, iyon pong mga PUV na may mga franchises. So iyon ‘yung mga identified – kung sino po iyong mga drivers noon, sila po ang makikinabang noon," he said. 

When asked if there was a possibility that drivers could receive the fuel subsidy directly, he said LTFRB and DOTr will just follow the law. 

"But again, we will inform the DOTr and LTFRB about it. That is the process," Bolano said. 

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno and the Palace had said public transport drivers will still receive fuel subsidies during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration but this will be more "targeted." 

In the previous administration, drivers received P6,500 worth of fuel subsidy, but some complained that their operators received a huge chunk of it.

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