About 139,000 tricycle drivers in Metro Manila will receive a P5,000 cash subsidy from the government to help offset the impact of rising fuel prices, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced on Thursday, March 12.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the distribution will begin on March 17, at 39 designated payout centers in Metro Manila.

Tricycle drivers are prioritized because their lists have already been validated and coordinated through local government units (LGUs).

“To be very exact, next Tuesday [March 17] magsisimula na tayo para sa mga tricycle driver natin sa Metro Manila tas unti-unti na ‘yun, sunod-sunod na (we will start with our tricycle drivers in Metro Manila, and then it will gradually follow with others,” Gatchalian said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo.

The payout will be carried out over three days to ensure that transport services continue operating while drivers claim their cash aid. LGUs will schedule drivers in batches to prevent long queues.

"Hindi to pwedeng sabay-sabay, dahil titigil naman yung pasada kung lahat sila pipila doon. So it's going to be done in batches per organization. ‘Pag ‘yan lahat pinull-out mo sa linya nila, mamomoroblema naman tayo sa mga sasakyan ng tao (This cannot be done all at once because operations will stop if everyone queues at the same time. So it will be done in batches per organization. If you pull them all out at once, we will have problems with public transport availability),” Gatchalian explained.

The cash assistance will be released directly at the payout sites to speed up the process and allow drivers to return to work immediately.

Gatchalian said other public transport drivers, including jeepney, bus, and transport network vehicle service operators, will also receive the same P5,000 relief once their validated lists are finalized by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

"Lahat ‘yan limang libo, pero hindi ibig sabihin na hanggang doon lang tayo, ang naging usapan kahapon sa pagpupulong, kapag ka tumagal pa to, nakita natin na humaba itong krisis sa gitnang silangan, may option pa tayo to do another round (All of them will get P5,000, but that doesn’t mean it ends there. In yesterday’s meeting, we discussed that if this situation drags on, given the Middle East crisis, we have the option to do another round),” he added.

The DSWD chief assured the public that it has sufficient funds under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, with P30 billion already earmarked for this round of subsidies out of the department’s P60 billion budget.