MANILA, Philippines — A total of 110,460 public utility jeepney operators nationwide have received fuel subsidy of P20,514 each from the government this year.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the cash grants were given to the jeepney operators under the Pantawid Pasada program.
The DOTr had asked P2.372-billion funding for the program this year under the General Appropriations Bill.
This year’s fuel subsidy is almost four times granted by the government in 2018, which only stood at P5,000.
Last year, the government allotted a funding of P977 million for the program. Of the amount, P899 million went to the fuel subsidy for jeepney operators.
The number of beneficiaries who availed themselves of the fuel subsidy was lower than the 170,000 jeepney operators who qualified for the program.
The subsidy aims to cushion the higher fuel prices following the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law.
The government launched the Pantawid Pasada program in July last year.