Negros riders receive PHP 5,000 fuel subsidy

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development has started releasing a PHP 5,000 fuel subsidy to 2,510 transportation network vehicle service drivers and delivery riders in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

Of the total, 1,560 beneficiaries were from Bacolod City, while the rest were from various local government units in the province.

The beneficiaries came from Bago City, Talisay City, Silay City, Murcia, E.B. Magalona, La Carlota City, Victorias City, Don Salvador Benedicto, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique, and Valladolid.

Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said the list of beneficiaries for the cash relief assistance came from the DSWD central office.

The distribution was held Thursday at SM City Bacolod.

Gasataya, in a statement released Wednesday night, assured beneficiaries that the city government had noted discrepancies in the list and was coordinating with DSWD to address the issues.

He said the city requested a thorough verification of the master list.

During the review, officials found that the roster of beneficiaries for Bacolod City and the Negros Island Region was mistakenly merged with the list for Region 6.

To rectify this, DSWD-NIR extracted and sorted the exact data for the city to expedite the process and ensure the rightful inclusion of all eligible drivers.

“We understand the concerns regarding the initial list of beneficiaries for TNVS and delivery service drivers in Bacolod City, which inadvertently excluded those affiliated with Grab Philippines/MyTaxiPH,” he said.

“We recognize how vital this financial assistance is to our people’s daily livelihood and families. We respectfully ask for continued patience as we coordinate with DSWD-NIR to complete the necessary corrections to their database,” the mayor said.

In view of concerns regarding drivers not included in the current list of beneficiaries, DSWD-NIR is closely coordinating with the concerned TNVS and delivery service companies.

DSWD also advised transport network companies to coordinate directly with the DSWD central office to rectify tagging concerns and facilitate the submission and verification of additional eligible drivers for possible inclusion in succeeding payout schedules.