Manila: The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has urged operators and drivers of public utility vehicles (PUV) to participate in the Service Contracting Program (SCP) before the deadline on May 11.

According to Philippines News Agency, the LTFRB announced that applications for the SCP would be accepted only until 11:59 p.m. on Monday via the web-based SCP portal. The agency emphasized that all applications submitted by the deadline would undergo review and evaluation along with those previously received.

The LTFRB cautioned that applications sent after the deadline would not be considered for evaluation or acceptance into the program. The advisory also reminded applicants to ensure the completeness and accuracy of their submitted documents.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the LTFRB relaunched the SCP last month to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The program offers two models for participation, allowing operators and drivers to join as either 'gross' or 'net' to supplement their income.

In the gross SCP model, the government compensates operators with a fixed sum based on distance traveled, independent of passenger count, and fares are either free for passengers or collected by the government. Conversely, the net SCP model requires operators and drivers to collect discounted fares from passengers, with the government providing a subsidy based on kilometers traveled.