CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The City Information Office announced on Monday that Habal-habal and bao-bao (Tricab) are not recognized as legal transport services and are not included in the P7,000 fuel subsidy amidst the rising cost of fuel.

Jade Adecer, public information officer, in an advisory said, pursuant to DILG Memo Circular 2020-036, bao-bao operating without proper franchise or motorized tricycle operator’s permit and LTO registration are considered colorum or unregistered.

Habal-habal operations are also NOT recognized as legal public transport services.

“Therefore, the target beneficiaries are limited only to ‘barangay registered and recognized’ motorela drivers,” he said.

Adecer, however, urged all “barangay-registered” motorized vehicle and tricycle drivers to coordinate with their barangay officials for the validation of the list regarding the fuel subsidy.

Motorela drivers, on the other hand, may proceed to the Road Traffic Administration (RTA) office until Monday, April 20, at 5 PM.

On Saturday, a habal-habal driver was hacked to death for failure to pay motorcycle rent, which is required to pay the daily rent of the motorcycle used to ferry passengers in the hinterland barangay in the city.

Police identified the victim as Roldan Panilag, a resident of Zone 2, Barangay Lower Bulua, this city.

The suspect, his brother-in-law, was only identified as Roldan.

Investigation showed the victim was drunk and sleeping inside his house when he was stabbed and hacked by the suspect.

Earlier in the afternoon, the victim and the suspect were heard by neighbors arguing over the daily rent of the motorcycle used as habal-habal in the area.

The suspect left and later returned in the evening and attacked the victim inside his room.

The killing happened as the RTA announced the release of a second batch of fuel subsidy for motorela drivers who were not able to receive the P7,000 cash assistance last April 8.

Included in the second batch are registered motorela drivers who underwent seminars and have no existing traffic violations in the RTA.

At least 1,350 operators and drivers received cash assistance—P5,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and an additional P2,000 from the city government—last April 8.

The city government has coordinated with the Department of Social Services (DSWD) for the distribution of the cash assistance.

“Registered franchise holders and motorela drivers receive the first wave of fuel subsidy,” he said.

The additional P2,000 is the first cash rollout after the city was declared under the state of energy emergency.

The Department of Social Welfare Field Office has also started distributing Cash Relief Assistance (CRA) in Northern Mindanao cities.