By Alexandria San Juan
Fuel company Seaoil Philippines has extended its fuel subsidy assistance until May 15. This is for the buses participating in the government's free ride service program for frontline health workers, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Tuesday, April 28.
Transporation secretary Arthur Tugade (ALI VICOY/ MANILA BULLETIN)
According to the DOTr, Seaoil has joined other oil firms to continue supporting the Department's initiative to provide medical frontliners with transportation assistance following the re-extension of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period.
Seaoil has been providing 50 liters of free fuel to 15 bus units participating in the free ride program of DOTr since April 13. With the extension, the oil company has pledged to provide a total of 24,750 liters of fuel, amounting to P742,500, the DOTr added. According to Seaoil, buses who may want to avail of the subsidy can fill up their tanks for free at any Seaoil gas stations in Metro Manila.
Following the company's move, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade thanked Seaoil for its continuous support for the Department's free ride initiative, adding that this will "ensure the continuity of the program" and will serve more frontliners along the way.
"We are grateful for the decision of Seaoil Philippines to extend its grant of fuel subsidies until May 15. With their help, along with our partner oil firms, we can ease the burden of our bus operators in terms of filling up their tanks in their daily service to medical frontliners while the ECQ in Metro Manila is in place," Tugade said.
Since the kickoff of the program last March 18, the DOTr was able to ferry at least 450,791 health workers who are in the frontline in fighting COVID-19 in Metro Manila and other regions, as of April 27.
Other oil companies who have also extended their support for the program until May 15 are CleanFuel, Phoenix Petroleum, and Petron Corporation. The participating oil companies have committed to provide free fuel to bus units that ferry medical workers under the Free Ride for Health Workers Program, the DOTr added.