More than 1.6 million drivers of public utility vehicles across the Philippines have received emergency cash aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which reported total disbursements of P8.214 billion to 1,642,837 qualified recipients.
Each beneficiary received P5,000 through the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program, channeled under the Marcos administration’s Unified Package of Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport, or Uplift, framework designed to support sectors hit hardest by economic pressures.
Among those who qualified, tricycle drivers made up the bulk of recipients at 1,120,845. Service delivery riders followed with 248,660, while jeepney drivers numbered 116,301. Motorcycle taxi operators accounted for 88,769 recipients and drivers under transport network vehicle services totaled 68,262.
The relief responds to mounting fuel costs that have eaten into the take-home pay of drivers who depend on daily trips for their livelihood. DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao confirmed on Monday that distribution remains ongoing in different regions.
“More than 1.6 million public transport drivers have already received their cash relief assistance, and our payout operations continue to ensure that everyone qualified will receive aid in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help PUV drivers amid the effects of rising petroleum prices, with no eligible driver left behind,” Dumlao said.
In areas such as Metro Manila, where large crowds posed logistical challenges, the department partnered with transport network companies to organize the queues and quicken the handout. Drivers who collected their aid said the money eased not only their fuel spending but also covered household expenses, schooling for their children, and other regular costs.
Whether a follow-up round of payouts will be rolled out remains under review, according to Dumlao, who tied the decision to how petroleum prices behave in the days ahead.
“The government is also looking into whether a second batch of cash relief assistance will be necessary for the transport sector because fuel prices have not yet fully returned to normal, and everything will still depend on how the situation develops in the coming days,” she said.
