A ₱5,000 cash relief assistance (CRA) distributed by the government to help drivers cope with the fuel price shock has largely succeeded in keeping transport workers on the road, but almost two-thirds of beneficiaries said the amount was insufficient to cover their operating costs, according to state-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

The CRA, delivered through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), provided one-time financial assistance to drivers affected by soaring fuel prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, noted PIDS’ policy note titled “Keeping Drivers on the Road amid the Fuel Shock: Evidence on DSWD AICS Support for Drivers,” authored by PIDS senior research fellow Jose Ramon G. Albert and published last Monday, July 20.

Based on a rapid phone survey of 1,200 beneficiaries, only 35.7 percent considered the ₱5,000 grant sufficient to cover their transport-related expenses, while 63.6 percent said it was insufficient or not sufficient at all. When asked what amount would be adequate, about seven in 10 respondents identified ₱8,000 or more, with ₱10,000 emerging as the most frequently cited figure.

Among transport groups, only 14.6 percent of transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers considered the grant adequate, followed by 22.8 percent of public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers. Meanwhile, 36.5 percent of tricycle operators and drivers’ association (TODA) members, 37.3 percent of delivery riders, and 38.3 percent of motorcycle taxi drivers said the assistance sufficiently covered their costs.

Despite concerns over the amount, the PIDS study found that the assistance achieved its immediate objective.

“The 2026 driver allowance helped many transport workers continue operating during a period of elevated fuel prices. Nearly all respondents reported that the assistance helped them remain in or return to work,” it said.

The survey showed that 96.3 percent of beneficiaries said the assistance helped them remain in or return to work, while 66.8 percent said it helped them greatly. At the time of the survey, only 5.1 percent were no longer operating.

However, the policy note found that the grant often served as broader household relief rather than a fuel subsidy alone.

Food was the most common use of the assistance, cited by 80.6 percent of respondents, followed by fuel at 73.6 percent, and vehicle repair or maintenance at 27.1 percent. The survey also found that 59.4 percent of beneficiaries experienced household income declines, 10 percent faced severe food insecurity, and 34.8 percent were not enrolled in any government social protection program—a figure that rose to 43.9 percent in Mindanao.

“The findings also highlight broader concerns about economic vulnerability and limited social protection coverage among transport workers,” the study said.

PIDS noted that AICS expanded to a ₱49-billion budget serving 7.8 million beneficiaries in 2025 from ₱4 billion benefiting about 500,000 Filipinos in 2014. However, the program faces an approximately 45 percent budget cut in 2026, underscoring the need for better targeting of assistance.

The study also said the CRA database, containing information on nearly 2.4 million drivers, could help the DSWD, together with state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and pension fund Social Security System (SSS), identify transport workers who remain outside existing social protection programs and facilitate their enrollment.

Given tighter fiscal resources, the report recommended reviewing the level and structure of the benefit, exploring more convenient payment mechanisms, and using the beneficiary database to expand enrollment in existing social protection programs.

“Together, these measures could strengthen the contribution of emergency assistance while helping address longer-term coverage gaps among transport workers,” the study said.

The country has been under a state of national energy emergency since March under Executive Order (EO) No. 110 issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., following global oil price and supply shocks caused by the war in the Middle East. - Danielle T. Bayani