DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the next cash aid payout for transport network, motorcycle taxi and delivery driver-beneficiaries will be capped at around 10,000 recipients per day starting May 13, as the government moves to prevent crowding at payout sites.
The assistance will be released under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program. Each qualified driver will receive ₱5,000 to help ease the impact of rising fuel prices, which have increased daily operating costs for workers who rely on fares, bookings and deliveries for income.
Gatchalian met with transport network company representatives at the DSWD Central Office on May 4 to finalize payout schedules and logistics. Companies were expected to submit their final payout plans, including venues and schedules, on May 5.
“Ayaw namin lumagpas ng 10,000 per day,” Gatchalian said, citing the need to prevent overcrowding and keep the distribution orderly.
Under the setup, DSWD will handle fund disbursement through its paymasters, while companies will oversee site selection, scheduling, logistics and driver coordination.
The tighter system follows earlier beneficiary lists submitted through transport groups that were flagged for errors and inconsistencies, including name variations, conflicting birthdates and duplicate entries. DSWD has been cleaning the records before distribution, with corrected lists to be jointly certified by the companies and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Crisis Intervention Program Director Edwin Morata said DSWD personnel will be deployed during payout days to address remaining discrepancies.
“If ever po may error pa rin po ang pangalan during the actual payout, may tao po from DSWD to do the on-the-spot deduplication process,” Morata said.
Official schedules will be released through government channels, with companies expected to help inform drivers of their assigned payout dates and venues.
