Aside from the fuel subsidy to passenger jeepney drivers, the government should also consider giving them holistic support in terms of food, health and nutritional assistance, the Commission on Human Right (CHR) said.

In a statement, the CHR said the P1-billion fuel subsidy will be of great help to public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers who struggle day by day to make ends meet.

The CHR, through its Spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia, was referring to the announcement of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on the approved P1-billion fuel subsidy to aid the operating expenses of PUJ drivers amidst the rising prices of fuel.

De Guia said the CHR expressed hopes on the LTFRB’s reassurance that there will be similar programs to be launched for other modes of public transport to ensure that no individual in the transportation sector will be left behind.

“PUJ drivers are among the sectors that are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic since its initial phase till now that we are already in the second year,” De Guia said.

“The series of lockdowns and limited transport routes and seating capacity severely diminished their income and pushed them deeper into poverty. Many drivers have resorted to begging to make ends meet,” she lamented.

“The CHR is hopeful that this intervention will enable PUJ drivers to continue making a decent living without having to sacrifice a huge portion of their earnings on their fuel,” she said as she noted that “for consecutive weeks, prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene have increased consistently.”

Under the LTFRB’s Pantawid Pasada Program, the funds will be distributed through the operators and franchise holders in the form of Pantawid Pasada Cards, which can then be used as a mode of payment in participating gas stations to prevent jeepney from having to deduct fuel costs from their daily income.

“Considering their compounded vulnerability, the Commission also supports the plan to explore ways to disburse the subsidy directly to driver-beneficiaries instead of having to go through operators,” De Guia said.

“The PUJ drivers are just starting to get back on their feet given that restrictions have been relaxed only recently. CHR, therefore, recommends the sustained provision of holistic support, which includes assistance for food, health, and nutrition, to ensure that they can steadily move forward from the huge blows of the crisis,” she stressed.

At the same time, the CHR, De Guia said, hopes that the program can be implemented immediately with strict transparency to ensure that drivers will benefit from the program.

She also said: “We are also hopeful that the subsidy program will be swiftly implemented given the urgency of the plight of passenger jeepney drivers. Further, the Commission equally expects utmost transparency in the implementation to ensure that PUJ drivers will truly benefit from the program towards the upliftment of their quality of life and dignity.”