Public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers will soon receive enhanced financial relief at the pump after the government announced that the fuel discount rate will increase to ₱12 per liter starting August 15.
The enhanced assistance, approved under directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., raises the subsidy from the ₱10-per-liter discount framework introduced in April to cushion public transport workers against ongoing global oil market volatility.
Under the updated rate, eligible jeepney and UV Express drivers can save up to ₱1,800 per week based on the 150-liter weekly fuel cap—an increase from the previous ₱1,500 maximum weekly savings.
In a recent DOE briefing, officials confirmed that cumulative disbursements under the program officially surpassed ₱403 million, prompting economic managers and Malacañang to remove the original budget cap and transition the initiative into a continuous, month-on-month review model.
“The initial budget approved when we started this at ₱400 million was breached, and we have gone over it,” said DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad during the briefing. “As of the last meeting, the assessment is that there is no longer a specific expiration date for this program. Our arrangement with LTFRB, Landbank, DOE, and the Office of the Executive Secretary will now have a monthly review. In short, this is in response to the still volatile situation in the Persian Gulf.”
Participation in the scheme continues to expand nationwide. Official DOE records indicate that more than 3,100 accredited gas stations are actively granting the subsidy, benefiting over 93,000 unique PUV plate numbers.
Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin emphasized that maintaining and expanding the subsidy provides essential relief for transport workers who shoulder the daily burden of fluctuating fuel prices.
“If you exhaust that 150 liters, that is a subsidy for our jeepney drivers,” Garin stated during the briefing. “It means a little more room in the family budget, a little less pressure on our drivers, farmers, and small businesses who move this economy every single day.”
Jointly managed by the DOE, Department of Transportation (DOTr), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and Landbank, program funding will be continuously replenished based on joint monthly evaluations between the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), DOTr, and Malacañang. (John Lester Naguna/PIA-NCR)