Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will commence the simultaneous cash relief assistance (CRA) payout for over 328,000 tricycle drivers in cities outside the National Capital Region (NCR) starting April 8. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to assist Filipinos whose livelihoods are affected by the rising cost of fuel.

According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao stated that the projected number of beneficiaries might increase once all reports from the regional field offices are consolidated. The DSWD will utilize a 'clean list' provided by local government units (LGUs) for the payout to ensure accuracy and avoid duplication.

The lists submitted by the LGUs underwent a deduplication process to avoid double entries or missing names and to ensure the details are correct. This list will guide the DSWD in distributing cash assistance this week. The LGUs provided these lists, which are based on the permits they issued to the tricycle drivers.

Under the CRA, each tricycle driver-beneficiary will receive PHP5,000 to help mitigate the impact of escalating oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Dumlao mentioned that the DSWD field offices are finalizing the schedule and venue of the payouts with the concerned LGUs to ensure accessibility and safety of beneficiaries.

For information on the time and venue of the cash relief assistance payout, the public is advised to monitor announcements on the official DSWD Facebook page and the pages of their field offices. The DSWD will publish all payout areas and other pertinent information before the payout activities commence.

The public can access the official communication platforms of the DSWD through its website www.dswd.gov.ph and its official Facebook page: facebook.com/dswdserves. The CRA is implemented under the DSWD's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, which serves as a social safety net or stop-gap mechanism to support individuals and families experiencing unexpected crises.