Baguio: A total of 3,183 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers in the Cordillera Administrative Region are scheduled to receive PHP5,000 cash relief assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the agency said Thursday. Around PHP15 million is allotted for the TNVS payout in the region. Drivers in Abra, Baguio, Benguet, and Ifugao received their aid on Thursday, while those in Apayao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province are scheduled for Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD-CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla stated that the department has released PHP81.5 million for earlier payouts to tricycle, jeepney, and taxi drivers. Rhovel Andaya, a 32-year-old Grab delivery driver and father of four, expressed that the assistance is timely with the opening of classes. Andaya mentioned that the cash aid will help buy school supplies for his children.

Tricia Buscagan, 27, a former "Panda rider" during the pandemic and now a mother of a seven-month-old baby, shared that the money will greatly assist with household bills and her baby's needs. She continues to deliver for at least four hours a day to provide for her family.

The cash relief assistance is intended for the transport sector as direct support to drivers affected by rising petroleum prices. Quintilla explained that transport network companies provided the list of beneficiaries to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), which regulates the sector. At least 20 companies, including Grab, Lalamove, and Shopee Express drivers, are on the list.

The list has undergone deduplication by DSWD to ensure beneficiaries have not received the same assistance in earlier transport sector payouts. Beneficiaries only need to present their original and photocopied driver's license. Quintilla added that others not included as beneficiaries can still avail themselves of the agency's assistance.