PUJ owners urged: Claim fuel cards

By Pamela Mariz Geminiano

BAGUIO CITY -- The Dept. of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday appealed to operators of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in the Cordillera to claim their “Pantawid Pasada” subsidy cards.

        "We are calling on the 1,648 operators who have not yet claimed their fuel cards to please come to our office. We are extending the distribution until February 28 of this year," said lawyer Jessie Balagot, LTFRB-Cordillera hearing officer and officer-in-charge.

     Balagot said the delay in the completion of the distribution of the 2018 subsidy affects the distribution of the government’s fuel subsidy for 2019.

        “Until the remaining 1,648 fuel cards for 2018 are claimed, we cannot start distributing the 2019 subsidy,” he said.

        "This is a privilege that they need to take advantage of," Balagot added.

        He said the card is like money which can be used in purchasing fuel from accredited gas stations of Caltex, Phoenix, Shell, Total and UniOil.

        The national government approved a fuel subsidy of PHP5,000 to PUV operators in 2018 as a stop gap measure to the increasing rate of fuel in the country.

       To accommodate those who have not received their cards, Balagot said the LTFRB office in Baguio is open every Saturday, starting February 9 then February 16 and February 23 to cater to the 1,648 operators.

        As of the first week of February, a total of 3,310 fuel cards have been distributed since the start of the distribution in September last year.

         LTFBRB records show that there are 4,958 "Pantawid Pasada" beneficiaries in the Cordillera.

        Balagot earlier said they have already tried calling PUJ operators via cellular phones to claim their cards. -- PNA