DOE to reload Pantawid Pasada cards

Thursday, 23 February 2012 11:37 Janvic Mateo

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday announced that they are in the process of reloading the Pantawid Pasada Program fuel cards to help jeepney drivers cope with rising gasoline and diesel prices.

In a press release published in the Official Gazette, the DOE said that about 100,000 cards will be reloaded with P1200. It also said that those who drive public utility jeepneys with plate numbers ending with zero will be the first to receive the fuel subsidy.

Interaksyon reported that the government will use the P200 million balance of the Pantawid Pasada Program to fund the reloading of the cards. The article also quoted DOE director Zenaida Monsada who said that they already submitted the list of qualified cardholders to the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

The Pantawid Pasada Program was launched in May last year to “provide targeted relief to the public transport sector to cushion the impact of high fuel prices on the riding and consuming public.” The program provided fuel assistance to jeepney and tricycle drivers.

According to a Manila Bulletin, many drivers have complained about the rigorous application process for enrollment in the program. There were also reports of technical glitches when using the cards in some gasoline stations.

Last year, transport groups criticized the Pantawid Pasada program and called it a “band-aid solution” to the problems in the transport sector. They also revealed that some of the cards that they received do not have the amount that was promised by the government.

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