CEBU CITY — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) has started the distribution of Pantawid Pasada cards to public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators and drivers in the region.
Newly-installed LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. on Wednesday said the Pantawid Pasada Program is aimed to mitigate the effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, which imposes higher tax rates on petroleum products.
“We actually started the distribution Tuesday, but so far only a few have come to claim their fuel voucher cards,” said Montealto, who was overseeing the distribution of cards at the Landbank-Cebu branch on Osmeña Boulevard.
Montealto said around 12,000 legitimate PUJ franchise holders in Central Visayas will enjoy the PHP5,000 lump sum subsidy from the government until the end of this year through the Pantawid Pasada cards.
“Since our primary mode of transportation in the country is jeepney, we are prioritizing the PUJ operators and drivers for the Pantawid Pasada Program,” he said. “Those with a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC), or franchise, can avail of the subsidy.”
Montealto, however, clarified that the subsidy will be given per unit, not per driver. “For example, if an operator has two drivers but only has one jeepney, the operator will only get subsidy for that one unit,” he said.
The fuel cards are also non-transferrable as they contain the plate number of the PUJ, name of the franchise holder, region where the CPC was registered, and card number.
There are around 9,000 franchise holders in Cebu, but Montealto said less than a hundred have claimed their cards since Tuesday.
LTFRB-7 spokesperson Isidro Tumulak Jr. said maybe they need to schedule a deadline in order to prod the operators and drivers in Cebu to claim their cards.
“You know some people. They usually come on the last day of registration, application, etc.,” Tumulak said.
Montealto also expressed his gratitude to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) for their assistance in facilitating the distribution of the cards.
John Rey Saavedra of the OPAV said Secretary Michael Dino will always extend assistance in the implementation of the administration’s programs.
“The OPAV has helped pushed Pantawid Pasada because it’s one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s poverty-alleviation programs. The fuel subsidies would at least lessen the impact of oil price increases on the PUJ drivers,” Saavedra said. ( Luel Galarpe/PNA)
