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SP approves tricycle fuel subsidy

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BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO

An ordinance providing fuel subsidy to all tricycles for hire within an existing valid franchise issued by the City Government of Bacolod was unanimously approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on third and final reading yesterday.

This is the third ordinance authored by Councilor Em Ang that was approved by the SP. The others are “An ordinance creating the Bacolod Arts and Culture Council” and “An ordinance assigning permanent guards in all public parks in Bacolod City.”

Ang said the ordinance is up for implementation but this will depend on the mayor. She is hoping that Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez will consider it as urgent.

She said this will benefit about 5,610 tricycle drivers who have been affected by the increase in prices of fuel considering that there are no classes yet and some employees continue to work from home.

The ordinance said retail prices of gasoline currently soared to a record high in so many countries across the world.

Last July 13, the prevailing retail pump price of gasoline in Bacolod City ranged from P51.25 to P57.56. This week, the prevailing pimp price in Bacolod ranged from P79.30 to P85.46, per Department of Energy (DoE) data, it said.

Bacolod City has a total of 5,610 tricycles-for-hire with existing franchises, comprising of 76 tricycle operators and drivers association (TODA), it said.

The national government through the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has been giving fuel subsidy to jeepney drivers while the tricycle drivers who are also utilizing fuel in their livelihood were taken for granted, it said.

It is imperative for the City Government of Bacolod to also provide fuel subsidy to the more than 5,000 members of the Bacolod City Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association as a measure of relief to the unprecedented increase of gasoline price in the country, it added.

The ordinance provides that the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) will submit an official list to the City Administrator’s Office of tricycles for hire with an existing valid franchise issued by the City Government of Bacolod.  The City Administrator’s Office will cause the enrollment of the qualified beneficiaries with the accredited petroleum company of the city.

The qualified tricycles for hire will receive fuel subsidy of P1,000 in a form of fuel voucher. The fuel voucher will be distributed by the City Administrator’s Office, while the BPLO will monitor that the fuel subsidy will be solely utilized in favor of the qualified beneficiary, it said.

The ordinance said that the funding of the initial implementation of the program will be taken from the available funds of the Office of the City Mayor or from any available funds of the city, subject to existing auditing and accounting rules and regulations, the ordinance added.*

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