CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – More than 400 taxi drivers have received various forms of assistance from national government agencies at the Barangay Nazareth gymnasium Friday morning.
According to Aminoden Guro, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) regional director, there are around 500 taxi drivers who have yet to receive any aid from the government.
The assistance, Guro said, is intended for workers whose livelihood were affected when the Duterte administration declared a nationwide public health emergency due to spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) last year.
Among the agencies that extended assistance were LTFRB-10, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Trade and Industry, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Department of Labor and Employment, and Office of Transportation Cooperative.
As of Friday, there were 415 taxi drivers who have registered and who were on the LTFRB-10’s master list.
To ensure that there will be no duplicity, Guro said they have cross-matched the list of those who have already availed of government assistance like the Pantawid Pasada Program for public utility vehicle drivers and operators, and those who have yet to receive.
Each driver who has been verified has received P3,000 in cash and food packs from the DSWD during the distribution.
Dole, DTI, and Tesda have offered programs that will benefit the drivers and their families.
“Several transport cooperatives have inquired at our office if there is another tranche of assistance to taxi drivers. I talked with DSWD, and it so happened that the budget intended for taxi drivers was also approved,” Guro said.
He added that the other agencies have also signified their willingness to extend assistance.
Guro said the listing of taxi drivers is ongoing, but they are still subject for cross-matching.
At the venue, the drivers were reminded to comply with minimum health standards like the wearing of face mask, wearing of face shield, and the observance of social distancing.
