ILOILO — Thousands of public transport drivers in Western Visayas are set to receive P5,000 cash assistance each, as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) expands its relief program to include public utility jeepney (PUJ), taxi, and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers following the rollout to tricycle drivers and operators yesterday.
The assistance for PUJ, taxi, and TNVS drivers will begin in the weeks following April 16, once the initial payouts to tricycle drivers across Iloilo City, Passi City, Roxas City, and other municipalities are completed, according to DSWD Region 6.
The expansion marks the next phase of the government’s targeted financial aid program for the transport sector.
“Ang local government units (LGU) naghatag sa amon sang listahan. After gin-verify ni DSWD, gin-de-duplication namon. Kagab-i naka-receive kami instruction from the Secretary. After April 16 , PUJs, taxi, kag TNVs. Ang pinaka-last naton nga payout amo ang riders nga gina-validate man subong,” said DSWD Region 6 director Joselito Estember.
The ongoing rollout began with tricycle drivers, considered among the most vulnerable in the transport sector, with payouts already underway in multiple distribution sites including Zamora Melleza in Iloilo City Proper, La Paz, and the M.H. Del Pilar Gymnasium.
DSWD-6 said only drivers with official franchises issued by local government units will qualify for the assistance, as part of efforts to ensure proper targeting and prevent duplication of beneficiaries.
The agency is currently validating and de-duplicating the lists submitted by LGUs while awaiting final instructions from the central office to ensure an orderly and efficient payout process.
The cash assistance forms part of a broader government intervention aimed at cushioning the impact of economic pressures on transport workers, whose livelihoods are crucial to maintaining mobility and economic activity in the region.
Estember emphasized that the program underscores the government’s recognition of the vital role drivers play in keeping communities connected./PN
