Photo courtesy of Hilda Austria/PNA
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) released more than Php 153 million in financial assistance to tricycle drivers in the Ilocos Region as part of a fuel subsidy program.
Officials said at least 30,601 drivers had already received aid as of April 20, covering multiple provinces in Northern Luzon.
Data showed that 6,500 beneficiaries were from several towns in Ilocos Norte, while 3,198 came from areas in Ilocos Sur.
In La Union, some 3,166 drivers were included in the payout, while Pangasinan accounted for the largest number of recipients with 17,737 beneficiaries from different municipalities.
Each driver received Php 5,000 in cash assistance, which formed part of a wider program targeting hundreds of thousands of tricycle drivers outside Metro Manila.
The agency said the distribution began on April 8 and was expected to continue until the end of the month.
The initiative aimed to cushion the impact of rising oil prices on transport workers, which affected their daily earnings and operating costs.
A beneficiary from Pangasinan said the support would help sustain household needs, explaining that daily income from driving had been limited and that the assistance provided some relief from financial strain.