Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to promptly address what he described as the “tedious” distribution of fuel subsidies to local fisherfolks.

Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services, initially urged the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to promptly release fuel subsidies to PUV drivers in response to rising oil prices caused by escalating tensions in the Middle East.

In the same appeal, Tulfo also urged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to accelerate and enhance the process of releasing subsidies to fisherfolk.

Tulfo said he had coordinated with BFAR Assistant Director for Administrative Resources Zaldy Perez to raise concerns over the complicated subsidy distribution process, which uses vouchers or cards redeemable at partner gas stations instead of direct cash assistance — a method Perez confirmed is currently in place.

“Just like other aid programs such as 4Ps and TUPAD, fuel subsidies for fisherfolk should be directly deposited into the beneficiaries’ bank accounts to ensure faster and more effective relief amid rising fuel prices,” he said.

The senator also emphasized the need to increase the subsidy from P3,000 to P5,000 per beneficiary, aligning it with the financial assistance received by PUV drivers.

According to Perez, around 200,000 fisherfolk who own and operate motorized fishing boats registered under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) are expected to receive fuel subsidies.

While Perez welcomed Tulfo’s recommendations, he said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had removed the option of providing direct cash assistance to beneficiaries.

In response, Tulfo contacted DBM Acting Director for the Budget and Management Bureau, Gemma Ilagan, to verify this claim.

Ilagan refuted Perez’s claim, clarifying that the DBM does not prohibit direct cash distribution and that the use of the card or voucher system was based on BFAR’s own guidelines.

Given the conflicting statements, Tulfo urged BFAR and DBM to coordinate and clarify the subsidy guidelines, emphasizing the need to establish a clear plan that would ensure fisherfolk receive their fuel subsidies for 2025 in cash and without unnecessary delays.

“The process of distributing fuel subsidies to our fisherfolk must be simplified. Assistance should go directly to them — on time and in cash, without all the runaround,” he said.

“Let’s not add to the burden of our fisherfolk, who have long been struggling with rising costs and limited income,” he added in Filipino.