The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced Saturday that it has already provided cash relief assistance (CRA) to more than 265,000 tricycle drivers in Metro Manila and over 212,000 outside the National Capital Region.

DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a radio interview that the CRA, amounting to P5,000, is sourced from the agency’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation fund. It is meant to help public utility vehicle drivers cope with the series of oil price hikes as a result of the US-Israel war against Iran.

“In Metro Manila, the number of drivers we have served is more than 265,000. Next week, we will have a special payout for drivers who were not able to claim or were not included in the list. For tricycle drivers outside Metro Manila, particularly in major cities, we served more than 212,000 drivers last week,” Dumlao said.

“As of today until tomorrow, in some areas, the distribution will continue for other tricycle drivers,” she added.

Dumlao said special payout schedules have been set for Metro Manila drivers who were unable to receive their CRA during the regular payout: tricycle drivers on 14 April, jeepney drivers on 15 April, TNVS drivers on 16 April, and motorcycle taxi drivers and delivery riders from 17 to 19 April.

For areas outside Metro Manila, Dumlao said the DSWD is awaiting the submission of lists of tricycle drivers.

“We prioritized cities because they were the first to submit their lists, and in major cities we saw the largest number of tricycle drivers,” she said.