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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DSWD chief defends cash aid for PUV drivers, denies claims of irregularities

DSWD chief defends cash aid for PUV drivers, denies claims of irregularities

Published Mar 28, 2026 09:00 am
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian reaffirmed the agency’s mandate to provide social protection during crises, as he denied allegations of irregularities in the distribution of cash relief assistance (CRA) to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers.
Gatchalian said the government’s provision of financial aid to transport workers is anchored on its responsibility to support vulnerable sectors.
“Ang pangalan ng departamento namin, Department of Social Welfare and Development. Social welfare means sa oras ng kagipitan, sa oras ng krisis, ‘yung gobyerno mo dapat nandoon. I see nothing wrong with the government stepping in and your taxes being used for social welfare dahil kailangan niyo (The name of our department is the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Social welfare means that in times of hardship, in times of crisis, your government should be there. I see nothing wrong with the government stepping in and your taxes being used for social welfare because you need it),” he said in a forum on March 27.
The DSWD chief explained that the one-time P5,000 cash aid aims to assist PUV drivers whose livelihoods have been affected by rising fuel prices due to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“Itong ayuda na ito hindi naman galing sa amin, galing ito sa inyo. This is your money, and we need your money right now dahil naiipit tayo dito sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin (This assistance does not come from us, it comes from you. This is your money, and we need your money right now because we are being squeezed by rising prices of goods),” he added.
Gatchalian noted that the agency’s more than P60-billion budget under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program is intended to support the most vulnerable sectors.
He also addressed claims raised during a Senate hearing of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee regarding alleged “ghost beneficiaries” and reports that drivers were asked to provide voting precinct information to be included in payout lists.
“Hindi namin ever hiningi ang voting precinct. Never. Ang hiningi lang namin are basic information: your name as it appears on your driver's license, together with your birthday and address (We have never asked for voting precincts. Never. What we asked for are basic information: your name as it appears on your driver’s license, along with your birthday and address),” Gatchalian said, noting that 19,000 jeepney drivers have been served so far.
He pointed out that the collection of basic personal details is necessary to ensure the integrity of the beneficiary list and prevent duplication.
“To avoid duplication. Kasi may mga tao na parehas ang pangalan, we need to be able to make sure na pag tinakbo namin yung deduplication process namin ay nasasalang namin nang mabuti (There are people with the same names, so we need to ensure that when we run our deduplication process, it is done properly),” he said.
Gatchalian added that while the department is working toward digitalization, physical verification remains necessary at this stage to ensure only qualified beneficiaries receive assistance.

Related Tags

DSWD OIL CRISIS CASH RELIEF ASSISTANCE PUV REX GATCHALIAN
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