By Lane Afable, News Editor
Senator Win Gatchalian is pushing to expand the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) net service contracting program to ensure steady income for drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) as higher fuel prices continue to keep many off their usual routes.
The chair of the Senate Committee on Finance and the PROTECT ad hoc panel, Gatchalian, said he is ready to back the program with funding when Congress takes up a supplemental budget under the proposed Bayanihan 3 measure.
“Nakikita ko, this program is really meant to help the income of our drivers.
“Nagtatrabaho ang mga drivers at mayroon silang kinikita,” the senator said.
The program is a government subsidy that pays PUV operators and drivers a fixed rate per kilometer, ensuring stable income regardless of passenger volume, while granting passengers a 20% fare discount.
This performance-based system reduces operational risks from high fuel costs and covers thousands of routes nationwide.
While cash aid from the DSWD provides relief to PUV drivers, Gatchalian emphasized that the priority is to keep them on their regular routes, preventing transport disruptions and enabling them to earn.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency needs P5 billion to run the program for 2–3 months and stressed the need for LGU support. So far, the DOTr has allocated P740 million, enough for about 10 days.
