Angara: Exemption of fuel subsidy from Comelec election ban to greatly aid beneficiaries
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Friday, September 22, welcomed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) decision to exclude the government fuel subsidy program from the ban on spending during the election period for the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls.
With this, Angara said he sees no reason for any further delay in the full implementation of the fuel subsidy program.
“Assuming all of the requirements have been met and the recipients have been identified, we urge the Landbank of the Philippines to fast track the downloading of the fuel subsidies to the intended beneficiaries,” Angara said.
Under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the Senate finance committee chair said the Executive department has proposed P2.5 billion for fuel subsidies to the transport sector.
Malacañang proposed the same amount under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) but Congress increased this by P500-million.
Angara said there is a total of P3 billion available this year under the GAA for the transport fuel subsidies which is expected to be distributed to some 1.36 million beneficiaries.
Under the subsidy program, P10,000 will be provided to each of the drivers of modernized public utility vehicles (PUVs); P6,500 to drivers of traditional four-wheel PUVs; P1,200 to delivery riders and P1,000 to tricycle drivers.
“With pump prices going up for 11 straight weeks, the PUV drivers have to bear the additional costs and deal with lower incomes. This could mean more hours on the road and less food on the tables of their families,” Angara said.
Apart from the P3 billion for the transport sector, there is also P1 billion earmarked in the 2023 GAA for fuel assistance to farmers and fisherfolk.
Of the P1 billion, P510.4 million was placed under the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for fuel assistance to the farmers while P489.6 million was placed under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for the fisherfolk.
At least 312,000 farmers and fisherfolk are expected to benefit from the said subsidy to help them sustain their production and operations.