Malacañang on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to easing the burden of rising fuel prices on the transport sector, announcing an expanded fuel subsidy program that increases financial relief for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers to PhP12 per liter starting August 15.
During a press briefing at Palace, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro assured transport groups that the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is actively addressing their operational concerns, including expanding the network of accredited gasoline stations participating in the program.
The announcement follows statements from transport group MANIBELA calling the discount a temporary measure and citing challenges with limited participating fuel stations that force many drivers to pay full pump price.
“Lahat iyan ay tinutugunan ng ating pamahalaan at sa lahat ng kanilang mga concerns ay makakaabot ito para matugunan nang mas mabilis kung ano iyong mga lugar na dapat pa na magkaroon ng mga gasoline stations na magbibigay ng fuel subsidy,” Castro said.
(All of these are being addressed by our government. We are acting on their concerns so we can quickly identify which areas need additional gasoline stations offering the fuel subsidy.)
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Increased Subsidy Rate: Financial assistance increases from PhP10 to PhP12 per liter.
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Estimated Savings: Beneficiaries can save up to PhP1,108 weekly or PhP7,200 monthly in operational fuel costs.
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Initial Budget: The national government has allocated PhP400 million for the initial rollout of the program.
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Launch Date: Implementation begins August 15.
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Open-Ended Timeline: The assistance will remain active for as long as transport workers require government support (“Hangga’t kailangan ng tulong ng ating mga kababayan sa transport sector ay mananatili ang pagbibigay ng ayuda,” Castro added).
Details regarding the specific breakdown of the PhP12-per-liter rate and the operational lifespan of the initial PhP400 million fund will be provided in a detailed briefing by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
