The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) began the first day of its three-day program to distribute P5,000 cash assistance to tricycle drivers in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

The first batch of payouts was conducted at 6:00 a.m. at the Makabagong San Juan Theatre in San Juan City and is projected to benefit an estimated 139,000 drivers in the National Capital Region alone.

Distribution efforts are being carried out through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, which allocated P30 billion for the initiative.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the government expects the program to be completed within the week before assistance is extended to other transportation sectors.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora explained that the aid distribution is a joint effort between local and national government agencies to help mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices brought about by tensions in the Middle East.

Tricycle drivers claiming the subsidy were advised to bring both the original and a photocopy of their driver’s license and to coordinate with their local government units to know their schedule for claiming.

Aside from the DSWD, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) also announced that it is preparing to release its own fuel subsidies for drivers and operators.

“When it comes to the DOTr, we have P2.5 billion for a separate fuel subsidy, and hopefully we will receive the funding within this week — the NCA [Notice of Cash Allocation] from the Department of Budget and Management,” DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said during a conference on Monday.

Lopez said the agency expects to begin its rollout of assistance by the fourth week of March.