Nearly 1,000 gas stations nationwide are now participating in a fuel subsidy program that gives jeepney and UV Express drivers a P10-per-liter discount on diesel, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced.
The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 140,000 public utility vehicles. LTFRB chairperson Vigor Mendoza II said during an interview that the program aims to ease the financial burden on public utility drivers dealing with high fuel prices.
“We are pushing the P10-per-liter discount. Around 1,000 gas stations nationwide are already providing the P10 discount to our jeepney and UV Express drivers,” Mendoza said.
“This is a big help to our drivers because they can save around P1,500 a week, or about P6,000 a month,” he added.
Mendoza said the participating stations represent various fuel companies and can be identified by streamers displayed outside their businesses.
The discount applies exclusively to diesel purchases and is initially limited to jeepneys and UV Express units with active LTFRB franchises.
Under the program guidelines, drivers can buy up to 30 liters of discounted diesel per day, which amounts to a maximum daily subsidy of P300. The weekly purchase limit is set at 150 liters.
The digital validation system was developed in coordination with the Department of Energy and the Land Bank of the Philippines.
Drivers do not need to install an application; instead, accredited gas stations use a database preloaded with the plate numbers of qualified public utility vehicles.
“The drivers only need to provide their plate number at participating gas stations. The gas station personnel will enter it into the system to verify the remaining discount balance,” Mendoza said.