Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez assured that drivers not listed under the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will still receive the ₱5,000 fuel subsidy, including informal or “kolorum” operators.
In an interview, Lopez said they are coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to include these drivers under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
“‘Yung listahan kasi po ng LTFRB, we’re referring to legitimate operators with legitimate drivers. ‘Yung pinanggagalingan po ng DSWD, which we agree also under AICS, ay basta ikaw po individual in crisis situation. So minsan nagkakulang yung listahan kasi iba ‘yung listahan namin,” Lopez said.
He acknowledged that some drivers may be operating without franchise but emphasized that they still deserve assistance.
“‘Yung iba naman po, sorry to say po, baka mga kolorum na po ‘to, pero driver naman po sila, naiintindihan namin sila. So ang napag-usapan namin kay Secretary Rex Gatchalian, maisasama pa rin sila sa AICS. Now if the initial payout hindi sila nasama, we’re going to hold another payout para dito sa mga hindi naisama na mga driver,” he added.
The government plans to conduct additional payouts to ensure all eligible drivers, including those initially excluded, can receive the fuel subsidy.