Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday welcomed the results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed the DSWD's cash relief assistance for public transport sectors helped them continue plying their routes and maintain their primary source of income.
According to Philippines News Agency, the SWS survey was commissioned by the Social Protection, Inclusion and Gender Equality (SPRING) Program of the Australian government and conducted on May 26 to 27 with a nationally representative sample of 1,200 registered beneficiaries of the DSWD's cash relief assistance. The survey revealed that 96.3 percent of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers expressed high satisfaction with the PHP5,000 cash aid, which allowed them to remain in or return to active transport operations.
Respondents also indicated a high level of overall satisfaction with the cash relief assistance, with 87.2 percent saying they were satisfied or very satisfied with the support received. 'Ang mga ganitong klaseng pag-aaral po ay makakatulong sa DSWD para mas mapabuti pa natin ang pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga kababayan nating PUV drivers na hanggang ngayon ay ramdam pa rin ang epekto ng pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina o krudo (This kind of study is helping the DSWD improve its aid delivery to PUV drivers, who, until now, continue to feel the effect of rising fuel costs),' DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a statement Monday afternoon.
Among the 96.3 percent, 66.8 percent of respondents reported that the cash aid has 'helped greatly,' while 29.5 percent stated that it 'helped somewhat.' The 'helped greatly' rating was highest in Mindanao at 79.6 percent, followed by 76.3 percent in the Visayas, and 72.6 percent in Balance Luzon. The survey also highlighted that beneficiaries primarily used the cash assistance for essential household and transport-related expenses. Food for the household was the most frequently cited use for the cash grant, followed by fuel purchases, indicating that the assistance helped PUV drivers meet their families' immediate needs while continuing their operations.
Dumlao mentioned that the DSWD would consider the survey results and relay the findings to other government agencies as inputs in the ongoing assessment of possible interventions for affected PUV drivers. 'Gaya po ng laging sinasabi ng aming Kalihim, Secretary Rex Gatchalian, inisyal pa lamang ito. Pinag-aaralan po ng ating gobyerno, alinsunod sa utos ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang susunod na hakbang para patuloy nating masuportahan ang mga apektadong drayber (Like what Secretary Gatchalian keeps saying, this is just the initial step. In line with the directives of President Marcos, the government is studying the next steps to continuously support affected drivers),' she said.
She noted that other government agencies are also working together to provide additional forms of necessary assistance to the transport sector, such as the fuel subsidy of the Department of Transportation. As of June 19, over 1.8 million beneficiaries across various sectors of the public transportation industry have received PHP5,000 cash aid from the DSWD, with a total disbursement of PHP9.11 billion.
