Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda said he knows a way to save the Philippines some P1.4 billion in fuel costs everyday amid the current volatility in the world crude market.
“The situation in the global markets will take a while to stabilize. Meanwhile we are starting to have plans to go back to school and go to work. Oil prices will hurt the middle class more if they are forced to take private vehicles due to lack of alternatives," the economist-solon said in a statement Saturday, Feb. 26.
As such, Salceda has called for the lifting of all public transport restrictions that were imposed as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic two years ago as well as the resumption of all public transport routes
“The protections accorded by additional public transport restrictions are marginal at best, and more public transport supply is a better guard against overcrowding when workplaces are beginning to normalize,” the House Committee on Ways and Means chairman said.
Moreover, he said: “The country could save as much as P1.4 billion in fuel every day by simply reverting to pre-pandemic public transport supply.”
Salceda added that the current public transport supply will not be able to service a resumption of face-to-face classes in schools, which the government is slowly but surely gearing toward.
“Especially in the rural areas, where PUVs (Public Utility Vehicles) like tricycles are essential, we need to lift all public transport restrictions.”
Salceda also called on the economic team to “make good on their promise of a PUV fuel voucher as soon as possible.”
“They have promised that way back last year. I call on the economic managers to make good on their P1 billion fuel voucher program immediately, and if possible, before we lift all PUV restrictions.”
He noted that without such subsidies, transport operators may just decide to stay home instead of toiling for the whole day only to lose their earnings to high pump fuel prices. A fare hike has also yet to be implemented.
“The subsidies will be just as essential to public transport supply as the lifting of COVID restrictions will be. So, the best time for those subsidies was yesterday. Now is also a good time”
Salceda hopes that the move will be “the easiest step among more painful options to prevent faster overall inflation due to fuel price hikes.”
“The other options are fiscally more painful, especially the fuel tax suspension, so I urge the government to take these easier steps early and fully," he said.