Marilyn Cahatol

Around 8,000 Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) drivers line up inside the covered court at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on March 24, 2026, to avail themselves of the government's cash assistance program. The program targets public transport groups affected by massive fuel hikes stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177485635112120260324-tnvs-cash-aid-distribution-qc-MT1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Around 8,000 Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) drivers line up inside the covered court at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on March 24, 2026, to avail themselves of the government&#x27;s cash assistance program. The program targets public transport groups affected by massive fuel hikes stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Hundreds of jeepney operators on Monday flocked to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City for the continuation of payout for fuel subsidy, a program under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).</p><p>Qualified operators of modern jeeps will receive P10,000, while their drivers will get P5,000. Operators of traditional jeeps will be given P5,000, while their drivers will receive P1,500. DOTr has a P2.5 billion fund for the fuel subsidy.</p><p>DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez, along with other transportation officials, visited the payout.</p><p>“Ngayong araw, asahan namin, ang madi-disburse namin is more or less around P400 million. Nagsimula po tayo last Tuesday, that&#x27;s March 24. Kapag matatapos po namin ngayong araw ang payout po natin, ang subsidiya natin in the form of a manager&#x27;s check at may mga iba po magbibigay din ng cash mismo, ang tinitignan po natin out of the P2.5 billion na fuel subsidy, makakabawas na po tayo ng P1 billion, disbursed na po ito,” Lopez explained.</p><p>He assured that payouts in provinces are also ongoing.</p><p>“I&#x27;m just giving LTFRB 15 -- humingi sila ng tawad eh -- 15 working days wherein we can disburse the entire P2.5 billion. So, so far naman po, in just a matter of five days, naka 1 billion na po tayo,” Lopez said.</p><p>“Ang pamamaraan natin dito nationwide, meron tayong through e-wallets, meron tayong manager&#x27;s check, meron tayong through doon sa fuel subsidy program. So, yun talaga yung ginawa naming distribution mechanism upang sa ganoon, hindi kami makaistorbo, makaantala sa mga drivers natin,” he added.</p><p>Lopez clarified that beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy are limited to qualified drivers and operators, unlike the cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which covers individuals in crisis situation.</p><p>Other beneficiaries of the fuel subsidy program include those who drive and operate UV express units, buses, taxis, tricycles, and school services.</p><p>Lopez said the P2.5 billion subsidy will cover about 1,181,000 units nationwide.</p><p>“Ang utos naman sa atin ng Pangulo kung kailangan namin dagdagan ang ating mga subsidiya either in the form of this existing program, gagawin po natin yan or in the form of other programs tulad ng libreng sakay natin na makikinabang naman po talaga are the existing tsuper and yes, contracting, libreng sakay service contracting natin, kasama ang commuters din natin,” Lopez said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/24/more-than-240-000-puv-drivers-to-receive-fuel-subsidy-0958">Gov&#x27;t rolls out fuel subsidy for PUV drivers</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>NOT ENOUGH SUBSIDY  </strong></div><p>One of those who came for the payout was Nonie Hersano, chairman of a traditional jeepney cooperative.</p><p>He was able to receive a Landbank check in a matter of hours, but the problem was they only got P20,000.</p><p>“Hindi ko alam paano ipapaliwanag sa mga drivers at saka operator ko, paano namin paghahatian to sa laki ng expenses sa fuel,” Hersano told ABS-CBN News. “Ang driver namin is nasa 15, ang operator namin is nasa eight. So, nasa 20 plus kami.”</p><p>He said they included all their operators and members in the list they submitted to authorities.</p><p>“Nasubmit namin lahat. Ang problema, na-check namin, pinakita sa akin, dun sa payroll account nila, apat lang. Hindi pa nila masabi kung sino yung apat na yun,” Hersano said. “Medyo disappointed talaga.”</p><p>He also complained of not being able to encash the check. A bank personnel told him that they needed to deposit the amount to their coop’s bank account, which they do not have yet.</p><p>Although grateful for the fuel subsidy, Pedro Pidlaoan, Jr., another jeepney operator, said the P5,000 he will receive is not enough, and more so the P1,500 for each of his drivers.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/11/transport-groups-say-fuel-subsidy-not-enough-amid-huge-oil-price-hikes-1557">Transport groups say fuel subsidy &#x27;not enough&#x27; amid huge oil price hikes</a></div><p>“Yung mga driver namin, umaaray sila. Kesyo dati yung ang dini-diesel nila sa isang araw ang minimum nila is 1,500, ngayon halos tatlong libo,” Pidlaoan lamented. “Paano naman yung kita nila? Pambigas. Eh yung iba nangungutang na nga eh.”</p><p>Jeepney operator Josefina Vergara, meanwhile, said they hope a fare hike will be implemented soon. The ideal would be an increase of P5, but she said a P1 or P2 hike would also be much appreciated.</p><p>“Sabi nga ng mga driver, payag na nga sila sa piso, dos at least kahit paano makadagdag. Pero wala di ba, walang nangyari. Pero pinaka-ano nga talaga is limang piso siguro makadagdag na yun,” Vergara said.</p><p>“Yung ibang driver talaga sinasauli na ang susi, ayaw na nilang bumiyahe. Nagko-construction na lang, ganun na lang nagtitinda-tinda na lang, nagtitinda ng basahan,” she added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/27/passenger-leaves-extra-fare-to-help-jeepney-driver-1614">Passenger leaves extra fare to help jeepney driver</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FARE HIKE</strong></div><p>Asked about the possibility of a fare hike, Lopez said the latest instruction of the President is to defer this.</p><p>&quot;Ang utos lang ng Pangulo sa atin is ipagpaliban muna hanggang matapos natin itong mga subsidiya natin at mga iba&#x27;t ibang programa. I just want to explain quickly lang po. Yung pinanggagalingan kasi po na ako, especially, yung punto de vista po natin is under Department of Transportation. Ang punto de vista po ng Pangulo natin ay pangkalahatan,” Lopez replied.</p><p>Once the disbursement of fuel subsidy is finished, he said they will roll out the Libreng Sakay Program nationwide, which has a P1 billion budget. Lopez admitted, though, that this amount is not enough.</p><p>&quot;Kulang po kung kulang. As a matter of fact, yung 1B na yan is magtatanggal pa tayo ng mga around 300 million at yan naman ilalaan natin sa maritime sector. Kasi nakalagay din sa ating GAA, special provision, na pati sila, yung ating mga kababayan na ang means of transportation nila ay yung mga fast craft, yung mga barko, so sila din kailangan natin alalayan. Ang parating sinabi ng Pangulo is walang maiiwan,” Lopez said.</p><p>The DOTr chief has already tasked the LTFRB to compute the needed additional funding. He said it is not necessarily in the form of supplemental budget as they may also get from the contingent funds of the Office of the President.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/29/recto-highlights-public-private-efforts-to-address-oil-crisis-1346">Recto highlights public-private efforts to address oil crisis</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B9hZNQDBm84?si=xc34W61NzxDKHVW7" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Hundreds of jeepney operators on Monday flocked to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City for the continuation of payout for fuel subsidy, a program under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).</p>

Hundreds of jeepney operators on Monday flocked to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Quezon City for the continuation of payout for fuel subsidy, a program under the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Jeepney operators, drivers receive fuel subsidy

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Jeepney operators, drivers receive fuel subsidy

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 30, 2026 04:35 PM PHT

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fuel subsidy

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giovanni lopez

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