The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Northern Mindanao (LTFRB-10) has distributed more than PHP25 million in cash assistance to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers.

In a news release Thursday, LTFRB-10 said it distributed PHP5,000 each to another batch of 5,000 PUV drivers, mostly in this city, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development-10’s (DSWD-10) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.

LTFRB-10 also deployed its personnel to various payout centers throughout the region, while DSWD-10 said the payouts will extend until Friday

Among the beneficiaries was Rufo Taotao, a jeepney driver for 32 years, who said the increase in oil prices due to Middle East tensions affected how he budgets his income.

“The cash assistance payout somehow helped ease the buying of our daily needs,” he said in the vernacular.

Another beneficiary was Jesus Antipuesto, 67, a jeepney driver from Lagonglong town in Misamis Oriental, who said it was his first time receiving cash assistance in his 10 years of driving a PUV. (PNA)