A TOTAL of 12,004 operators out of 14,471 qualified beneficiaries received their Pantawid Pasada Cards (PPC) or the fuel subsidy card as of Sept. 14, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) XI revealed.
LTFRB XI data showed 4,137 approved public utility jeepneys, 1,969 Filcabs, 500 UV Express units, 4385 taxis, 800 public utility buses, 56 minibuses, and 157 tourist transport services. Each received P6,500 through a card issued by the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, PPCs for 19 modernized public utility jeepneys and 16 modernized utility vehicle express units have not been approved yet. However, they will receive P10,000 each once LBP verifies their cards.
Engr. Marie Jean Jaralba, LTFRB XI technical division chief, said it takes time for LBP to verify the account enrollment. However, she assured that qualified operators need not worry as everyone will receive the subsidy. She added they are still awaiting a response from the bank regarding the remaining unreleased cards.
The distribution of the fuel subsidy cards aims to alleviate the impact of fuel price hikes to drivers and operators, which follows the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 02, series of 2023 on the Implementation of Fuel Subsidy Project for Fiscal Year 2023 and succeeding years. The joint circular is signed by the LTFRB, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Transportation (DOTr), DICT, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Energy (DOE), and LBP.
Jaralba said that all the qualified beneficiaries must strictly use the cards for fuel payments and purchases only. For instance, if beneficiaries use the cards to withdraw cash from ATMs and purchase goods besides fuel, the account will be subjected to closure and the card will be blocked.
Apart from termination, the LTFRB shall also issue a Show Cause Order for the delinquent beneficiaries. Jaralba said that there were no reports of violations subject to closure, a month after the circular’s implementation on Sept. 13.
For 2022, the division chief said there have been 780 accounts blocked which is due to the manner of provision of subsidy. As for the previous year, the assistance was in the form of withdrawable cash, and this year is through a voucher that can only be claimed at certified gasoline stations.
The partner gasoline stations include Caltex, Cleanfuel, Petron, Phoenix, Pilipinas Shell, PTT, Rephil, Seaoil, Total, and Unioil.
Qualified delivery service riders shall also receive P1,200 from the Department of Information and Communications Technology while tricycle drivers will be provided P1,000 each from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
