In order to address concerns received by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on the limited number of drivers of Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) and Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) that are in the certified list of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Department explained that qualified PUV drivers are included in the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

DSWD said that the LTFRB provided the list of drivers who were included as possible beneficiaries of SAP.

To prevent duplication of assistance with other government agencies implementing SAP, DSWD conducted a validation and name-matching process on the submitted list of LTFRB.

After the validation process, drivers who were not included in the certified list of other government agencies but were found to be eligible for assistance will be referred to concerned DSWD Field Offices for inclusion to the roll of SAP waitlisted beneficiaries.

Once included as waitlisted beneficiaries, DSWD will then provide their names to the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and to its financial service providers (FSPs). The FSPs will then credit the emergency subsidies into the beneficiaries’ restricted transactional or nominated accounts within 24 hours upon receipt of the funds from LBP.

To date, LBP branches in Metro Manila have available subsidies amounting to P323,344,000 for 40,418 drivers of TNVS and PUVs (PUV). Some 24,067 driver-beneficiaries from the National Capital Region (NCR) have already claimed assistance from LBP branches amounting to P192,536,000.

Meanwhile, 21,610 motorcycle taxi drivers received P172,880,000 and 36,104 PUV drivers received P288,832,000 cash subsidies via GCash.

In addition, about 88,808 non-LTFRB certified drivers in NCR also received P710,464,000 cash assistance through GCash transfer.

Aside from NCR, there were 1,088 waitlisted drivers in Region V; 16,908 in Region VI; 11,017  in Region VII; 12,459 in Region XI, and 5,400 in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) who have received SAP assistance.

DSWD also assured driver-beneficiaries that it will hasten the validation process and continue its coordination with the LTFRB and LBP for the immediate release of assistance to qualified driver-beneficiaries. ###