Following the surge in oil prices, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is preparing to expand its cash relief assistance (CRA) program for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers outside the National Capital Region (NCR) after Holy Week.

After last week’s initial cash aid distribution to tricycle drivers, the DSWD noted that many drivers had already received assistance, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a DZMM interview on Saturday, 21 March.

“For the past three days that we have distributed this financial assistance to our tricycle drivers, more than 90,000 tricycle drivers here in Metro Manila have received Php5,000 from the government,” Dumlao said in English and Filipino.

The DSWD spokesperson also said the agency is gearing up for the next phase of implementation as it continues operations in the NCR.

“Our target is to begin right after Holy Week. At this time, we have not yet determined the total number of drivers across different parts of the country. Once we have that data, we can start plotting how many days will be needed to complete the distribution,” Dumlao added in Filipino.

According to the DSWD, around 27,635 Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) drivers are scheduled to receive assistance on Tuesday, while more than 21,700 public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers are set to receive aid on Wednesday.

Simultaneously, an estimated 137,700 delivery riders will receive their cash assistance on 26 and 27 March, followed by approximately 27,600 motorcycle taxi drivers scheduled for payout on 28 March.

The P5,000 cash aid aims to help PUV drivers and their families cope with rising fuel costs, with the DSWD emphasizing support for them as individuals facing a crisis, not just as transport workers.