Another round of cash aid is in the pipeline.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is preparing a second round of cash assistance for transport workers affected by persistent fuel price increases, assuring that its multibillion-peso allocation under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program remains sufficient to cover nationwide payouts.

DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the cash relief assistance is intended not only as immediate support for vulnerable sectors but also as a broader economic buffer amid rising petroleum costs.

“Actually, in the DSWD, we see this cash relief assistance as an important stimulus to keep the local markets alive and to keep people on the streets. That's why the DSWD is really trying to provide this to the vulnerable sectors, particularly our [public utility vehicle] drivers who are most affected by the continued increase in the prices of petroleum,” Dumlao said during the Bagong Pilipinas public briefing on Wednesday, April 8.

She said the agency is already laying the groundwork for the next wave of payouts once the initial rollout for transport workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) is completed.

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“So the DSWD, in accordance with President Marcos Jr.’s order, is already arranging the second wave of financial assistance. And we are just arranging it after we have served all the drivers within NCR. Just like outside Metro Manila, to enable us to prepare also,” she said.

Dumlao added that the agency’s funding remains adequate even as the program expands to other regions and sectors, citing the scale of previous disbursements.

“We have seen that the DSWD's fund is sufficient because within NCR, wherein we have served more than 260,000 drivers, our fund amounted to more than ₱1.3 billion. And then for the tricycle drivers in major cities, our fund requirement is more than ₱1.6 billion. So if you will add the same amount for the municipalities, the ₱30 billion that we have earmarked for the provision of cash relief assistance is sufficient,” Dumlao said.

“So this is more than enough for the second wave that we are doing,” she added.

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While the cash assistance program addresses immediate needs, Dumlao said the DSWD is also working on longer-term interventions through its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), which aims to help beneficiaries build stable income sources beyond short-term aid.

The SLP allows beneficiaries, including returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), to access livelihood support either individually or through organized groups known as Sustainable Livelihood Program Associations (SLPAs), depending on their chosen setup.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian met with repatriated OFWs in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday, where each received ₱20,000 under the SLP.

Gatchalian said the program is designed to help returning workers rebuild their livelihoods as they reintegrate into their communities.

The DSWD chief also inspected the rollout of cash relief assistance for tricycle drivers in Central Luzon during his visit to the province.