ILOILO City – Good news to drivers and operators of public utility jeepneys in Western Visayas.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced it has exempted the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) from the cash disbursement.
This means LTFRB could resume its fuel subsidy distribution.
The fuel subsidy is P6,500 for each driver.
LTFRB Region 6 Legal Officer IV Salvador Altura Jr., however, said they would wait for the official order from their central office.
“Kay dapat i-communicate ina namon sa amon Landbank participating branches agud nga they will be aware and mag-ready na sila mag-distribute,” Altura told Panay News yesterday.
In a press briefing in Manila, Comelec commissioner George Garcia said, “They could implement (the fuel subsidy program) immediately but (it) is subject to the strict implementation of the program, resubmission of information on how the project will be implemented, the parameters of implementation, and especially the specific target beneficiaries on how they will apply to avail of the grants of the program, and likewise subject to submission of the different departments that would be implementing the said program of the LTFRB — from the Department of Agriculture to the [Department of Social Welfare and Development] and such other departments.”
Also called the Pantawid Pasada, the fuel subsidy is being coursed through the Land Bank of the Philippines in the form of cards that drivers can encash ur present to participating gas stations when they refuel.
“Sa aton nga mga drivers nga amo ang actual beneficiaries sang program, salamat gid sa pasenya nga ginhatag ninyo sa paghulat sini,” said Altura.
Today, LTFRB and Landbank are set to distribute Pantawid Pasada cards in Silay City (Negros Occidental, 268 cards), Iloilo City on April 9 (over 1,000 cards) and Kalibo, Aklan on April 10 (135 cards).
“Sa aton operators, bangod ang cards sa inyo mga ngalan kag nabal-an ninyo kon ano ang katuyoan sini, palihug sundon ta lang ang katuyoan sang card agud malikawan ang komplikto between sa inyo kag sa aton mga drivers,” said Altura.
LTFRB-6 has received complaints from some drivers that their operators are refusing to release to them the cash cards./PN
