A total of 1,193 Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) drivers in Bacolod City received rice assistance from the city government on Easter Sunday, April 5.
For many drivers the rice subsidy comes at a time when their income has been stretched thin due to fuel price increases triggered by tensions in the Middle East, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.
More fuel price increases are expected on Tuesday, April 7.
The distribution effort was led by the city government’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO), which moved swiftly to ensure that assistance reached beneficiaries without delay.
To make the process more accessible, the city deployed pick-up trucks to various PUJ terminals across Bacolod, allowing drivers to receive the rice directly at their respective routes, the press release.
Driver Rene Mark Garcia of Brgy Estefania said “There are days when what we earn barely covers fuel expenses. Sometimes, there’s nothing left to bring home. That’s why this help means so much– not just for me, but for many drivers who are struggling”.
Garcia and his fellow drivers received five kilograms of rice each.*
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