The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) distributed cash relief assistance to riders and drivers in the delivery and logistics sector in Negros Oriental on Thursday.
More than 600 beneficiaries from across the province have been identified to receive the cash assistance to help them cope with the current economic crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict.
John Michael Rollorata, Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) team leader here, said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency, that the payout is the third tranche for the transport sector.
“The first to receive the cash grant were tricycle drivers, followed by jeepney drivers, and then the delivery riders,” Rollorata said.
This is to alleviate the plight of the beneficiaries to cope with the rising costs of fuel and other commodities, he added.
Hundreds of beneficiaries from different parts of the province flocked to the Negros Oriental Convention Center to receive the cash aid.
Cherrylyn Gabatan, 48, of Barangay Balugo in this capital city, said the assistance is a big help to her as she has children who are still at school.
Balugo has worked as a delivery rider for an online food app for five years and says this is her family’s primary source of income.
Jaylard Cañete, who recently got married and hails from Vallehermoso, the northernmost town in Negros Oriental, expressed gratitude to the government under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the cash relief assistance.
Cañete delivers items for an e-commerce platform and online shopping app in Vallehermoso.
It is a great challenge for him to deliver the parcels to clients, especially in mountainous areas, which require more fuel, he said.
He pays a daily average of PHP150 to PHP200 for fuel, but has a quota to meet.
Both riders, who work for the same online shopping app, said they have to reach a quota of 60 deliveries a day so they can receive an extra incentive.
Meanwhile, Rollorata said another payout will be held in Bayawan City on Friday to cater to riders who are from the southern parts of the province, including the towns of Sta. Catalina and Basay.
He also announced that those who missed receiving their cash relief assistance can go directly to the DSWD-NIR office to claim the benefit.*
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