DOTr Acting Sec. Giovanni Lopez. Photo courtesy of Connie Calipay/ Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The Department of Transportation (DOTR) is completing the necessary paperwork to release fuel subsidies for public utility vehicle operators and drivers as fuel prices continue to rise.
Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Wednesday the agency has been working to finalize documentation needed to implement the assistance program.
Lopez gave the update more than a week after the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board began preparing the documents required for the subsidy.
He said he had directed the processing of the paperwork as early as March 1 to speed up the release of the financial assistance.
“Just yesterday, we signed a memorandum of agreement and documents so we could get the NCA [Notice of Cash Allocation] from the DBM [Department of Budget and Management] for the fuel subsidy,” Lopez said in an interview.
The department has also requested a Special Allotment Release Order for the Service Contracting Program for public utility vehicles.
Lopez noted that under the fuel subsidy allocation in the 2025 national budget, the agency must wait for 30 calendar days to obtain a certification from the Department of Energy (DOE).
“So if it began on March 1, we must wait until March 30, but the president said that we shall start the process,” he said, adding that preparations are underway so funds can be released immediately once the certification is issued.
The DOE earlier projected diesel prices could increase by as much as Php 24.25 per liter this week, while gasoline prices may rise by Php 7 to Php 13 per liter depending on oil companies’ adjustments.