The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) distributed, starting Thursday, February 16, 2023,
food packs for drivers who missed the fuel subsidy and also registered those who were not yet listed for the High Priority Bus System social packages.
CSWDO Focal Person for Community and HPBS Mae Aquino, in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO) on Friday, said that a total of 1,862 PUJ and taxi drivers who missed the fuel subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are targeted to receive the food packs. The distribution was conducted on February 16-17 at the Almendras Gym.
“Kini sila tung gipasa nato sa DSWD nga ika Batch 12 unta nga hatagan og financial assistance last year and since wala man nakadungag og pondo ang DSWD wala na sila nahatagan sa financial assistance. So with that nangita ta og pamaagi nga makahatag ta og assistance sa ilaha maskin food packs lang man (These people are part of the list we submitted to CSWDO for the Batch 12 of those who will receive financial assistance last year and since the agency did not release additional fund, they were unable to receive the financial assistance. So, with that we looked for ways that they’d be assisted even through food packs only),” she said.
Aquino said that they coordinated with the City Mayor’s Office for the food packs. The same type of food packs was distributed to other sectors, so this time, taxi drivers and PUJ drivers received their share.
During the February 16 distribution, a total of 464 drivers received food packs. Each food pack contains 20 canned goods and five kilos of rice. Each driver received two bags.
HPBS Registration
“Gawas ana ni-take advantage na lang pud mi sa atoang registration drive nga atong gipahigayon sa atong High Priority Bus System unya nindot pud sya og turn out kay as per gahapon nga ihap nato nikabat siya og murag 100 plus ka drivers atong napa-register so naklaro na or nasecure na ang ilang registration didto sa atong HPBS project. (Aside from handing out food packs, we also took advantage of the distribution and conducted the registration drive for the HPBS. The turnout is also good because as per yesterday’s data, around 100 were able to register, so their registration for the project was secured),” she said.
She said that the 100 drivers will add to the 9,072 drivers and operators earlier listed for the HPBS social package. The registration for the drivers and operators for the social packages remains open.
Aquino said that drivers included in Batch 12 who were entitled to receive food packs are listed in their February 15 post on https://www.facebook.com/cswdodavaocity.
While the initial schedule of distribution is set for February 16 and 17, they plan to extend it to next week until all the drivers on the list are given food packs. CIO
