BACOLOD City — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has started distributing Cash Relief Assistance (CRA) to more than 3,000 Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) and delivery drivers in Bacolod City amid concerns over the exclusion of some beneficiaries from the initial payout list.
The payout began at SM City Bacolod on May 28, benefiting 1,510 recipients, while another 1,504 beneficiaries are scheduled to receive assistance on May 29, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 3,014.
The financial aid aims to help drivers cope with rising fuel prices and increasing daily operational expenses.
However, concerns emerged after several drivers affiliated with Grab Philippines and MyTaxiPH were reportedly not included in the initial beneficiary list.
In a public statement, Mayor Greg Gasataya assured affected drivers that the Bacolod City Government had already identified the discrepancy even before complaints were formally raised.
Gasataya said the city immediately coordinated with the DSWD to verify the masterlist and determine the source of the issue.
According to the mayor, the review revealed that the beneficiary lists for Bacolod City and the Negros Island Region (NIR) were inadvertently merged with the roster intended for Region VI.
“To rectify this, DSWD-NIR is currently extracting and sorting the exact data for Bacolod, expediting the process to ensure the rightful inclusion of all eligible drivers,” Gasataya said.
The city government also appealed for patience from affected drivers while corrections are being finalized.
“We recognize how vital this financial assistance is to our people’s daily livelihood and families,” the mayor added, assuring that the updated payout schedule and guidelines will be announced once the corrected list is transmitted to the city government.
For its part, DSWD-NIR clarified in a social media statement that the list of beneficiaries was originally endorsed by TNVS and delivery companies to the DSWD Central Office through coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
DSWD-NIR emphasized that it only received the final validated list from the Central Office for the implementation of the payout in the region.
The agency added that it is now closely coordinating with concerned TNVS and delivery companies regarding drivers who were not included in the current list of beneficiaries.
DSWD also advised Transport Network Companies (TNCs) to directly coordinate with the DSWD Central Office regarding tagging concerns and the submission of additional eligible drivers for possible inclusion in succeeding payout schedules.
The department reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all qualified beneficiaries receive assistance in a timely, safe, and dignified manner while maintaining the integrity of the program through proper verification procedures./PN
