President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a service contracting program for public utility vehicles, a P10-per-liter fuel subsidy starting April 15, and the release of P8 billion in assistance for over 42,000 barangays nationwide to cushion impacts from the Middle East crisis such as higher fuel prices, a weaker peso, and threats to livelihoods, Malacañang said Thursday. PUV drivers will receive additional income of P40 to P100 per kilometer, while commuters get at least 20% fare discounts on routes linked to trains and major bus lines.
In a video message, President Marcos said the Department of Transportation would implement a service contracting program to boost PUV drivers' income starting April 15. Operators and drivers will get P40 to P100 per kilometer during off-peak hours, with GPS monitoring for compliance and service efficiency. The initiative is expected to benefit 50,000 PUVs, 1,000 operators, and 15 million passengers.
Commuters will receive at least a 20% fare discount on trips connected to trains and primary bus routes, implemented nationwide. A P10-per-liter fuel subsidy for three months, capped at 150 liters per week per PUV, will launch in Metro Manila along Commonwealth Avenue, expanding to Quezon Ave., España, Zapote, A. Bonifacio, Rizal, Marcos Highway, and beyond. It will be available only at Department of Energy-approved and monitored gasoline stations.
"This is important because we are not just responding to transport costs. We are also preventing increases in the prices of food and other primary commodities," Marcos said.
Marcos also approved P8 billion in aid to the country's over 42,000 barangays, with P200,000 each for educational, social, and economic projects under the “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” program. The initiative launched on March 24, with an initial 5,000 barangays receiving funds, including those in Pilar, Bataan, after the Araw ng Kagitingan rites. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said half of the funds may be used for community needs such as street lights, patrol vehicles, closed-circuit television cameras and power generators for health centers and evacuation facilities. The other half will support a “finisher program” for up to 200,000 college seniors at risk of dropping out due to financial issues. “We will not allow them to stop in their final year of studies,” Recto said.
The initiative aims to bolster barangays as first responders to local issues. “They are the first to see problems and they should also have the capacity to act immediately,” Recto added. "Direct support will be given to barangays. The President’s order is to strengthen them because they are the frontliners and they are closest to the people."
The Office of the President is partnering with the Liga ng mga Barangay for fund release and monitoring, with oversight from the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Funds must be distributed before June 2026 and fully used by year-end.