Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 24) — President Ferdinand Marcos has ordered a faster release of fuel subsidies to beneficiaries by shortening the trigger period for the aid from three months to one month, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said on Tuesday.
He said the president earlier gave instructions during a sectoral meeting \”on changing the language of the 2024 GAA provision on fuel subsidies for the transport sector in order to shorten the trigger period from three months to one month and simplify… requirements,” referring to the annual budget or the General Appropriations Act.
“Whenever the Dubai price per barrel exceeds $80 for three months, then that will be the trigger for the provision of subsidies to the transport sector drivers – public utilities including tricycle and other public utilities,” Lotilla said during a briefing in Malacañang.
With the simplification, the trigger period will be down to one month.
Congress earlier increased the proposed budget for fuel subsidy next year to ₱3 billion from the initial ₱2.5 billion to provide relief to drivers amid soaring fuel prices.
The program grants ₱10,000 to modernized public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers; ₱6,500 for drivers of traditional four-wheel PUV; ₱1,200 for delivery riders; and ₱1,000 for tricycle drivers.
For this year, more than 120,000 beneficiaries have so far received the cash aid since the distribution in September.
Lotilla also said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will soon no longer have to consolidate the list of all eligible beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy program from Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG ) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
\”So this time as proposed by the Department of Budget and Management to Congress, the guidelines will need only to be agreed upon by the Department of Budget and Management, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy,\” he said.
With the new policy, Lotilla said that the DOTr will be responsible for the list of those with franchises from LTFRB, the DILG for tricycle drivers from various localities, and the DTI for delivery service riders.
