Press Release
May 13, 2020

POE: TAP CASH TRANSFER SCHEMES TO HASTEN AID TO PUV DRIVERS

Deposit aid now to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers who have yet to receive cash assistance.

In issuing the call, Sen. Grace Poe noted that thousands of PUV drivers are still left without income nearly two months into the Covid-19 lockdown.

Poe then urged agencies in charge of distributing aid to resort to direct money transfers to the account of beneficiaries or through mobile money transfers to hasten the process of getting the assistance into the hands of the drivers.

"Pwedeng kunin ng mga organisasyon ng PUV drivers ang pangalan at account number ng kanilang mga miyembro, at direct deposit na ang pera sa account nila, kung meron," she said.

Poe earlier suggested that government agencies should tap the most user-friendly means such as money transfer companies which the people have been using in the past to send or receive cash.

"Digital cash transfers should be maximized for quicker response, especially in this time of pandemic which requires social distancing," Poe stressed. Of the 90,000 estimated beneficiaries in the National Capital Region, only 40,418 PUV and transport network vehicle service drivers have received cash from the government's social amelioration program, Poe said, citing the May 11 report of the executive to Congress on the implementation of the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act.

"Dapat inuuna natin yung mga talagang pinakanangangailangan, mga daily wage earners na nawalan ng trabaho, kasama diyan ang mga drayber ng public utility vehicles natin na nung nag-ECQ, siyempre walang pasada," Poe said.

Poe lamented that the original list of beneficiaries submitted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has been trimmed, yet distribution of cash aid remained slow.

"Ang listahan na ibinigay ng LTFRB, noong umpisa ay lagpas 300,000 drivers sa buong Pilipinas . . . ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) tinapyas ito at 90,000 na lang ang pinayagan. . . Pero doon pa sa 90,000 na iyon, magdadalawang buwan na tayong ECQ, parang 45,000 pa lang ang nakakatanggap," Poe said in a radio interview Wednesday.

The LTFRB has acknowledged that verifying the list of beneficiaries has been a challenge because of the tedious process agencies have to go through. But Poe said this has to be resolved, especially with the extension of the lockdown until the end of the month.

"Isipin natin ang kapakanan ng mga hindi kaagad papayagang pumasada. Hindi ako magdudunung-dunungan dito, pero ito talaga ay proseso," she said.

"Papupuntahin sila sa DSWD, tapos babalik sa LTFRB, and LTFRB ipapasa naman sa Land Bank. Baka naman pwedeng mula sa LTFRB, ay mapadali ang proseso sa pagkuha ng pera," Poe stressed.

On Thursday, economic managers will update the Senate on the sources of funds to sustain the fight against Covid-19 and on how to speed up distribution of cash aid to beneficiaries.

"Bawat araw, nadadagdagan ang pangamba ng ating mga kababayan hindi lamang dahil sa pandemya kundi dahil sa gutom ng kanilang pamilya. Kailangan nilang maramdaman na nandito ang gobyerno para sa kanila," Poe said.

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