HOUSE deputy speaker and Cagayan de Oro City 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Friday urged the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to immediately download funds to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for the provision of fuel subsidy to the public transport sector.

This, according to Rodriguez public utility drivers are feeling the heat with a steady rise in oil prices for the eight week in a row now.

Rodriguez also even urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) through the LTFRB to expedite the release.

“The DBM downloads the funds to LTFRB and LTFRB releases to the operators and drivers,” said Rodriguez.

During Friday's public transport stakeholder’s meeting of the LTFRB-10 in Cagayan de Oro City, Rodriguez said that Congress allocated the said amount under the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

He said that this year’s GAA provides for financial assistance/fuel vouchers to qualified public utility vehicle (PUV), taxi, tricycle, and full-time ride-hailing and delivery services drivers nationwide as identified and validated by the LTFRB.

”I call on the DOTr and LTFRB that this P2.5 billion subsidy be already given to our drivers as soon as possible. Just this year, there is a P10 increase in the prices of petroleum products,” said Rodriguez

Year-to-date adjustments of oil prices stood at a net increase of P7.95 per liter for gasoline, P10.20 per liter for diesel, and P9.10 per liter for kerosene, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported.

“When prices of petroleum oil increase, it always follows that fares and prices of goods will also increase, affecting our consumers,” said Rodriguez adding hat this is alarming for an economy like the Philippines which is still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lawyer Martin Delgra, III, LTFRB Chairmen pledged to Rodriguez and the Transport Cooperatives and Associations of Region 10 that once DBM downloads the P2.5B to LTFRB, the agency will immediately release the amount to the public utility drivers in the country

Rodriguez thanked Delgra for his commitment to release the subsidy. (Ben Balce)