As tensions in the Middle East escalate, countries like the Philippines, which rely heavily on oil imports from the region, are already feeling the impact. To help cushion the effects, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it is in talks with toll operators on the possibility of granting discounted rates for buses transporting passengers to the provinces, as well as trucks that play a key role in moving goods across the country.

“Kami ay nagpapasalamat sa toll operators natin na sila naman po ay sumasang-ayon, kasi we did the numbers, like sa mga bus, makakatipid sila ng mga PHP 5.00 to PHP 7.00 and for a hundred liters, there is PHP 7,000.00 na matitipid din,” said Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez.

(We are grateful to our toll operators because they have agreed, since we did the numbers. For buses, they can save around PHP 5.00 to PHP 7.00, and for every hundred liters, they could also save about PHP 7,000.00.)

Sec. Lopez added that these are among the other non-cash and additional interventions and measures being implemented by the national government. The Department of Trade and Industry earlier proposed the temporary suspension of toll fees for delivery vehicles transporting basic and prime commodities.

Meanwhile, the DOTr also announced that qualified beneficiaries will start receiving the PHP 5,000 fuel subsidy beginning next week.

According to Lopez, tricycle, jeepney, taxi, TNVS, and bus drivers in Metro Manila will begin receiving the subsidy starting March 17, while distribution to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in the provinces will follow shortly after.

The DOTr and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be working with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to validate the program’s beneficiaries.