Iligan City — The Iligan City government has launched its “Pantawid Pasada Program,” providing fuel assistance to qualified public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators affected by rising fuel costs.
Under the program, each qualified LTFRB-registered PUJ operating within Iligan City will receive P3,000 worth of fuel coupons, complementing the earlier P5,000 fuel subsidy released by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Armien Alorro of the Iligan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said the initiative fulfills the commitment of Mayor Frederick W. Siao to help the transport sector cope with the recent fuel crisis.
“This is a support program from the local government that complements the assistance already provided by the LTFRB,” Alorro said.
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City officials said the subsidy is intended for operators since they shoulder fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses. Operators with multiple qualified units will receive separate coupons for each unit.
To streamline implementation, the city accredited Perez Shell fuel stations in Tomas Cabili, Bara-as, Pala-o, and Bagong Silang.
Coupons will be color-coded per station, while transactions will be recorded through logbooks for monitoring and auditing.
The fuel coupons must be used within one week from issuance, with unused balances forfeited after the validity period.
Lawyer Jayson John Alegarme said the rollout took time due to policy drafting and consultations with transport groups to ensure transparency and compliance with Commission on Audit regulations.
“As much as we want to expand the scope of the assistance, we are bound by legal procedures and auditing requirements,” Alegarme said.
Only LTFRB-registered PUJ operators with routes within Iligan City are qualified under the current guidelines. Units operating outside the city, including routes to Marawi City, are excluded.
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The program also does not cover taxis, ride-hailing services, and habal-habal drivers.
Transport groups Misamis Iligan Lanao Transport Service Cooperative, Metro Iligan Transport Cooperative, and Dalipuga Transport Service Cooperative welcomed the initiative, citing the continued impact of high diesel prices on operators and drivers.
Transport cooperative representatives said around 2,049 beneficiaries have been submitted for evaluation, including operators and drivers from various routes across the city.
