Release of P35-million fuel subsidy for habal-habal drivers in Cebu City pressed

Local

COUNCILOR Jun Alcover has pressed the Cebu City government to finally release the P35-million fuel subsidy for qualified habal-habal drivers after weeks of delay.

The issue was tackled by the Cebu City Council on Tuesday, July 28, after Alcover delivered a privilege speech urging the executive department to immediately distribute the long-promised assistance while ensuring that only legitimate transport workers receive it.

Mayor Nestor Archival has defended the postponement, saying the list of beneficiaries still needs to be cleaned up.

Alcover said the continued delay has frustrated many registered habal-habal drivers who had expected to receive the subsidy following Archival's earlier announcement that distribution would begin in the second week of July.

He noted that the council had already approved the P35-million appropriation to help transport workers cope with rising fuel prices, which have continued to squeeze their daily earnings.

"Our drivers have already waited long enough," Alcover said.

He added that every day the subsidy remains unreleased is another day many drivers continue to shoulder the burden of higher fuel costs.

Beyond the delay, Alcover also raised concerns over how beneficiaries are being identified.

He said the council had earlier understood that only registered and qualified drivers would be included in the program, with beneficiary lists coming from legitimate transport organizations before being validated by barangay captains.

However, his office has since received reports that some registered habal-habal drivers were excluded after separate lists were allegedly prepared through barangay managers appointed by the mayor.

"If these reports are accurate, they naturally raise questions among many qualified drivers who have faithfully registered with recognized organizations and who expected that the agreed guidelines would be uniformly observed," Alcover said.

He clarified that his privilege speech was not meant to challenge the authority of the executive branch but to appeal for transparency, fairness, and faithful implementation of the subsidy guidelines.

The councilor later moved for a resolution urging the mayor and concerned offices to immediately release the subsidy and ensure that the agreed validation process is strictly followed.

A day before the council session, Archival acknowledged that the city failed to meet its target of releasing the assistance before the end of July because officials were still verifying the list of beneficiaries.

The mayor said the city found questionable entries during validation, including barangay personnel and even call center agents allegedly listed as habal-habal drivers.

He said the city decided to conduct another round of profiling to remove ineligible names before any funds are released.

"Gipanon na... kinahanglan ato ning iprofiling og balik because ang tan-aw nato, ang mga uban nga mga barangay tanod, mga barangay nga mga empleyado, giapil didto as habal-habal, 'nya naay mga call center agents, naay habal-habal. Dili man ni pwede," Archival said.

Archival said barangay officials and leaders of habal-habal organizations have been asked to help identify legitimate beneficiaries.

He also noted that while previous fuel assistance programs covered around 10,000 drivers, the current list has expanded to about 35,000 names, making verification more complex.

"You cannot just simply give this to 35,000 without verification," the mayor said.

He added that the city wants to avoid complaints from drivers who may be left out despite being qualified.

The fuel subsidy program has evolved since it was first proposed earlier this year.

City Hall initially planned to distribute the assistance in cash before later studying a fuel card system that would ensure the aid is spent exclusively on fuel.

The city likewise tightened eligibility requirements by limiting the subsidy to Cebu City-based drivers after discovering that some transport groups had submitted names of drivers residing outside the city.(TGP)