By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As part of the government’s various initiatives to ease the burden of the current situation on the transportation sector, the DSWD continues with its distribution of cash relief assistance (CRA) to PUV drivers across the country.
Among the recent benefactors of this initiative were the 1,300 Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers from Metro Manila and nearby provinces who received P5,000 in cash after lining up at the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) payout site in Quezon Memorial Circle on Monday.
This program is implemented in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., further strengthening government programs to provide immediate support to affected drivers.
In this regard, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the agency will also begin distributing aid through digital wallets after setting the regulatory framework and guidelines of the e-wallet transfer system at an earlier meeting with various stakeholders and financial institutions.
Gatchalian said in a statement, “Now na mataas na ang aming confidence at na-validate na namin sa first round, we will start doing e-wallet transfers sa mga susunod na rounds.”
He added, “Pinag-aaralan namin ang iba pang vulnerable sectors dahil alam naman natin na may iba pang naapektuhan ng krisis na ito. Tinitingnan namin kung paano pa sila matutulungan.”
As of press time, the government has already helped almost one million drivers through P5 billion in funds that were allocated for this initiative.
The Social Welfare chief added that the agency targets to complete the first round of aid distribution before the end of the month.
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