CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – More than 24,000 tricycle drivers in the Ilocos region have received P5,000 cash assistance each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The financial aid was released under the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) through its Cash Relief Assistance Program, aimed at helping drivers cope with the impact of rising fuel prices caused by both local and global factors.
DSWD said beneficiaries were identified through validated lists submitted by local government units (LGUs) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The payout was conducted simultaneously in different parts of the region this week.
Pangasinan had 12,625 recipients, Ilocos Norte, 6,574;
Ilocos Sur, 3,293; and La Union, 2,063.The DSWD said the cash assistance forms part of the government’s continuing efforts to cushion the effects of fuel price hikes on public utility drivers and other vulnerable sectors.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Ilocos is gearing up for the orderly and systematic rollout of the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk Program (PAFFP), with around 4,000 beneficiaries set to receive cash aid during the pilot distribution this April.
DA Ilocos Executive Director Fidel Libao convened concerned personnel on Friday morning for a preparatory meeting to ensure smooth implementation.
The regional office is set to distribute a total of P9.3 million in assistance with each farmer-beneficiary receiving P2,325.
Simultaneous distribution will be held in the Ilocos Norte Research and Experiment Center (INREC) in Batac City, Ilocos Sur Research and Experiment Center (ISREC) in San Juan, DA Regional Field Office I in San Fernando City, and the Pangasinan Research and Experiment Center (PREC) in Santa Barbara.
To facilitate verification, the DA urged recipients to present their Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) ID or any valid proof of identity.