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MANILA, Philippines — On Tuesday, a congressman urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to release the PHP5 billion in fuel subsidies set aside to help public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators cope with rising fuel prices.

San Jose del Monte City Rep. Florida Robes filed House Resolution 2515, claiming that uncontrolled oil price increases will burden “already long-suffering public utility drivers” who had yet to recuperate from the “ill-effects” of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

According to Robes, the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA) lists PHP5 billion in gasoline subsidies as unprogrammed appropriation, which may only be accessed if government income collection surpasses the revenue objective.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said last week that it had just disbursed PHP3 billion in gasoline subsidies, with PHP2.5 billion going to public transportation and PHP500 million going to farmers and fisherfolk. A total of 377,443 people are eligible for the fuel subsidy.

The Cabinet’s Economic Development Cluster has recommended that the transportation sector receive a PHP5 billion subsidy, up from PHP2.5 billion.

“The gasoline subsidies are issued by the DoTR and the LTFRB. However, it is taking some time to release the assistance, ostensibly because certain conditions from drivers are required,” Robes stated in her resolution.

She claims that the exponential rise in oil costs has created an unusual scenario for PUV drivers, requiring fast and decisive government action, particularly from the DOTr and LTFRB.

“The DOTr and LTFRB should be conscious of the urgency of the situation and dispatch the quick release of the fuel subsidy to provide relief to our public utility drivers who are still suffering from the economic impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak,” she stated.

According to Robes, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in recent weeks has raised crude oil prices in the world market to more than USD110 per barrel, resulting in an exponential increase in local petroleum product prices of PHP3.60 per liter for gasoline, PHP5.85 per liter for diesel, PHP4.10 per liter for kerosene, and PHP3 per kilogram for liquefied petroleum gas last week.

She said that the price of crude oil has risen to more than USD120 per barrel, prompting another round of price hikes in the local market on Tuesday, saying that diesel has increased by more than PHP13 per liter and gasoline has increased by PHP7 per liter.

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