By Camille A. Aguinaldo
SENATOR Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares on Friday urged the government to implement the fuel vouchers, the additional 10% fare discount and other subsidies provided by the tax reform law amid the rising prices of goods and services.
“First, the fuel vouchers should be distributed now. Second, let us fast-track the distribution of money in the unconditional cash transfer because a small percentage of Filipinos has received this. Regardless, this is already a big deal,” she said in a statement issued after the Senate hearing on the effects of tax reform law on public services and utilities.
Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law provides social mitigation measures for Filipinos, such as fuel vouchers for jeepney franchise holders, rice discounts and 10% transportation fare discounts for minimum-wage earners, and free skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Unconditional cash transfers of P200 monthly would also be given to the 10 million poorest Filipino families.
At the hearing, transport and consumer groups revealed that the Department of Transportation (DoTr) has not discussed with them the possible subsidies they may receive under the TRAIN law.
For his part, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda pointed out that about P28 billion was appropriated this year for measures to mitigate the impacts of the tax reform law.
A representative of the DoTr said the agency has a self-imposed deadline until end of June to publish the rules of the Pantawid Pasada Program. Around P977 million has been allocated for the program this year to benefit around 179,000 jeepney franchise holders.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) admitted at the Senate economic affairs committee hearing that the government was able to distribute unconditional cash transfers to only four million families at this time. The agency added that it is targeting to fully implement the program only by the end of September.
Ms. Llamanzares said safety nets should be enforced immediately amid the “relentless price increases” not only brought about by TRAIN but also by the world market.
“It’s in the hands now of the government to make sure that those subsidies are distributed on time to our countrymen so that the poorest who are affected by this will be given a reprieve,” she said.
The senator previously called for the immediate suspension of fuel excise taxes under TRAIN law due to mounting complaints that the law aggravated prices spikes. Senators Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV and Joseph Victor G. Ejercito have also made similar calls.
