A total of 2,429 TODA and JODA drivers from Candaba and San Luis, Pampanga, received ₱5,400 each in Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help them meet their basic needs and cope with the effects of calamities on their livelihoods. (Photo courtesy of Pampanga PIO)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed P13.1 million in financial assistance to 2,429 tricycle and jeepney drivers in Candaba and San Luis, Pampanga, whose livelihoods were affected by recent calamities.
Each beneficiary received P5,400 under the agency’s Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) program to help cover essential household expenses, including food, medicine and other daily necessities.
The recipients were members of Tricycle Operators and Drivers’ Associations (TODA) and Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Associations (JODA) in the two municipalities.
Among the beneficiaries was Victor Magat, a tricycle driver from Barangay Mandili in Candaba, who has been working in the transport sector for 20 years.
Magat expressed gratitude for the assistance, saying it would help his family purchase much-needed medicines.
“Malaking tulong po ito para sa amin. Maraming salamat po dahil may pandagdag na po pambili ng mga gamot namin,” Magat said.
The DSWD said the financial assistance aims to support transport workers who experienced income losses due to calamities, particularly drivers who rely on daily passenger trips for their livelihood.
A total of P13,116,600 was released to the 2,429 beneficiaries to help ease their financial difficulties while recovering from disruptions caused by recent disasters.
Under the ECT program, eligible individuals and families affected by calamities receive temporary financial assistance to address immediate needs and support their recovery.
The initiative forms part of the DSWD’s continuing efforts to assist disaster-affected communities and provide financial relief to vulnerable sectors, including public transport workers.
