The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) will start today, April 8, the payout of cash relief assistance (CRA) for an initial 34,974 tricycle drivers operating in 19 cities across the region.
The payout for tricycle drivers in the municipalities will follow on April 16, DSWD-NIR public information officer John Paul Ocate told the Philippine News Agency.
This week’s payout beneficiaries include 30,990 from Negros Occidental, and 3,984 from Negros Oriental.
Each tricycle driver-beneficiary will receive P5,000 to help ease the impact of rising fuel prices caused by the geopolitical tension in the Middle East.
Among the payout sites is the highly-urbanized Bacolod City, which has a total of 9,617 beneficiaries.
In a press briefing April 7, Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said the payout will run for three days, or until April 10, in four venues.
“The fund comes from the national government coursed through the DSWD. The list of beneficiaries came from the city, based on those who applied here and also includes those who applied directly to the DSWD,” he added.
The payout venues include the Bacolod City College, Bacolod City National High School, SM City Bacolod, and Ayala Malls Capitol Central.
Other payout sites in Negros Occidental are the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, La Carlota, Sagay, San Carlos, Sipalay, Talisay, Victorias, and Silay.
In Negros Oriental, releasing of CRA for tricycle drivers will be held in the cities of Bais, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, and Tanjay.
“The official list of tricycle drivers came from the validated data submitted by the LGUs from their tricycle operators and drivers’ associations,” the DSWD-NIR notice said.
Ocate said around P200 million in fuel subsidy has been allocated for the almost 40,000 tricycle drivers in the region.
Those whose names cannot be found in the list can seek assistance from the DSWD-LGU Help Desk.
The CRA is being implemented by the DSWD under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program, which serves as a social safety net, or stopgap mechanism, to support the recovery of individuals and families experiencing unexpected crises. ||
