Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Thursday, April 16, that he is allocating about P2 million from his personal funds for the distribution of fuel subsidy cards to about 1,780 public utility jeepney drivers.
The ceremonial launching of his Fuel Subsidy Program was held at his office in Bacolod City Thursday morning.
Each driver will receive fuel subsidy cards worth P1,000 that will enable them to redeem fuel at designated gasoline stations in their routes, he said
Benitez said he decided to allocate his personal funds to help the drivers while they are waiting for government subsidy to kick in because it is taking so long.
It will tide them over until the government subsidies are released, he said. “Our drivers continue to serve the community every day despite the challenges they face. Through this initiative, we aim to provide practical support that can help sustain their livelihood and daily operations,” he said.
Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Thursday, April 16, that he is allocating about P2 million from his personal funds for the distribution of fuel subsidy cards to about 1,780 public utility jeepney drivers.
The ceremonial launching of his Fuel Subsidy Program was held at his office in Bacolod City Thursday morning.
Each driver will receive fuel subsidy cards worth P1,000 that will enable them to redeem fuel at designated gasoline stations in their routes, he said
Benitez said he decided to allocate his personal funds to help the drivers while they are waiting for government subsidy to kick in because it is taking so long.
It will tide them over until the government subsidies are released, he said. “Our drivers continue to serve the community every day despite the challenges they face. Through this initiative, we aim to provide practical support that can help sustain their livelihood and daily operations,” he said.
He said government subsidies to vulnerable sectors are expected to b
He said government subsidies to vulnerable sectors are expected to be given until the end of the year, with high fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict expected to be protracted.
The P2 million for the subsidy program will come from Benitez’s salary in Congress, Bacolod City Congressional Office Chief of Staff and former Bacolod City councilor, Cindy Rojas, said.
It will be released to consolidated jeepney drivers, she said.
She said they are finalizing the lists per route and hopefully the fuel subsidy cards can be released not later than Saturday.
Benitez said he expects fuel prices to further drop next week.
Diesel prices are projected to plunge by ₱18 to ₱20 per liter, while gasoline prices are estimated to decline by ₱2 to ₱3 per liter, industry sources said.
Rojas said Benitez is also pushing for a shift towards the use of E-jeeps for public transportation to address the problem of rising prices of imported fuel.
Benitez is looking at charging stations for E-jeeps to be powered by energy from solar farms, she said.*
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