P7,200 fuel subsidy para sa 78,000 na kwalipikadong jeepney operators

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Nasa 78,000 na kwalipikadong jeepney operators ang maaari nang magamit ang halagang P7,200 bilang "one-time" fuel subsidy bawat isa para sa kanilang mga drivers simula ngayong araw, ika-24 ng Nobyembre 2021.Ito ay matapos pormal na ilunsad ang Fuel Subsidy program kasabay ng ceremonial signing ng Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) sa pangunguna ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) at Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) sa pagitan ng iba pang ahensiya kabilang na ang Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).

Sa tala ng LTFRB, mahigit 136,000 public utility jeepney (PUJ) operators o franchise holders ang kwalipikadong benepisyaryo ng programa, habang 85,000 sa mga ito ang mayroon ng active Pantawid Pasada Program (PPP) ATM cards mula noong 2018-2019. Mula sa bilang ng active PPP ATM card holders, nasa 78,000 operators ang maaari nang gumamit ng subsidiya para sa pagpapakarga ng krudo ng kanilang mga drivers.

Sa kanyang mensahe na ibinahagi ni DOTr Undersecretary for Finance Giovanni Lopez, binigyang-diin ni DOTr Secretary Art Tugade na ang fuel subsidy ay bilang tulong sa mga driver at operator ng PUJs na lubhang naapektuhan ng krisis dulot ng pandemya at magkakasunod na mga pagtaas ng presyo ng langis.

“Sa pamamagitan nitong programa na ito, Mamang Tsuper, nawa’y inyong patuloy at buong-puso niyong gampanan ang inyong mahalagang papel at tungkulin sa ating mga commuter. Maagang aguinaldo po ito para sa ating mga kasamahang tsuper para maging Merry ang kanilang Christmas,” ayon kay Secretary Tugade.

“Good news po. According to Land Bank, as of yesterday, they were already able to credit the amount of P7,200 to around 78,000 beneficiaries. So ‘yun pong merong existing PPP cards, they have to check po sa ATM nila ‘yung account balance. Again, we would like to put emphasis that this should be used for fuel purchases po,” pahayag naman ni Atty. Zona Russet Tamayo, LTFRB-NCR Regional Director at Legal Division OIC.

Samantala, sinabi ni LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III na ang P1 bilyong halaga ng fuel subsidy ay patunay ng patuloy na malasakit ng pamahalaan sa mga PUJ drivers at operators. Matatandaang ang pondo na ginamit para sa program ay mula sa 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) na inaprubahan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa pamamagitan ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

“Kailangang tulungan natin ang transport sector lalong lalo na ang mga tsuper at operator ng public utility jeepneys o PUJ, hindi lamang para maibsan ang gastusin sa araw-araw na pagmamaneho pero higit pa para masiguro ang pagpapatakbo ng pampublikong sasakyan para sa ating mas nakakaraming mananakay,” ani Chairman Delgra.

Pareho namang nagpahayag ng suporta ang DOE at LBP, na mga katuwang ng DOTr at LTFRB, sa implementasyon ng programa.

“This is why we, at the Department of Energy, welcome today’s signing of the Joint Memorandum Circular on the implementation of fuel subsidy program. A product of our collective efforts, the Pantawid Pasada Program would once again extend much needed assistance to legitimate public utility jeepneys franchise holder,” pahayag ni DOE Usec. Jesus Cristino Posadas, bilang kinatawan ni Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi.

“Mahalaga po ang tungkulin ng Land Bank sa programming ito. Ang agarang paghahatid ng tulong pinansyal sa mag franchise operators sa buong bans para matanggap nila ang kanilang sabsidiya mula sa pamahalaan,” mensahe naman ni LBP Pres. Cecilia Borromeo.

Maaaring gamitin ang fuel subsidy para ibayad sa ikinargang krudo mula sa mag gas stations na nakiki-isa sa programa. Kabilang dito ang mga gas stations ng Petron, Shell, Seaoil, Total, Jetti, Rephil, Caltex, Petro Gazz, at Unioil.

Short docu on VP Leni wins at Dreamanila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

An epistolary documentary focused on a government office’s pandemic response efforts got a Special Mention award for its screenplay at the 3rd Dreamanila International Film Festival last November 22.

“Maria Leonor,” a short documentary written and directed by filmmaker-educator Seymour Barros Sanchez in the form of an open letter, delves into the Filipino voter’s psyche as it trains its sight on the Office of the Vice President led by VP Leni Robredo. It is an offshoot of his full-length project “Leading Lady” funded by the Centre for Global Business of the Monash Business School in Australia.

Collaborating with Sanchez on “Maria Leonor” are camerapersons Ariel Alarcon, Charles Cajayon, and Kristin Joy Bactad Jor, sound recordist Darwin Novicio, composer Tonton Hernandez and singer Jaycee Belmonte (“Tuloy ang Laban”), voiceover narrator Eloisa Espino Sanchez, editor, sound and graphic designer and editor John Lanbert Rafols, and creative consultant Richard Soriano Legaspi.

“Even the age of modern pandemic cannot simply stifle their sustained growth – and films have become, more than ever, a powerful tool to document lived experiences,” Dreamanila Founder and Executive Director Archie Del Mundo shared in a statement he signed with head of festival programming Joselito Altarejos, creative director Lemuel Lorca and associate programmer Robert Cerda.

Only 56 films were selected to compete out of more than 500 submissions to the festival, which had International Full Features, International Short Features, Philippine Shorts, and Screenwriting categories.

Altarejos and Lorca, both award-winning filmmakers, and film scholars Cerda and Jerrick David comprised the Dreamanila film festival jury and board members.

The festival had 15 competing films during its inaugural run at the Dream Theater of the then Carl Balita Productions in 2019. When the pandemic lockdown happened last year, over 30 finalists were shown via Facebook Live streaming platform on its FB page (https://www.facebook.com/dreamanila). This year, it was streamed via The Dreamanila Network (https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDreamanilaNetwork).

“Maria Leonor” is also competing at the Lift-Off Global Network Sessions this month. Based at Pinewood Studios, United Kingdom, Lift-Off features a broad range of new and emerging indie content and focuses on “fostering a digital connection with new global audiences, connecting them with a broad range of grassroots indie film talent.” The festival also runs online from Nov. 15 to 29 via Vimeo on Demand.

The film may also be viewed at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Center for Campus Art website as part of the online art exhibition “To Differ Digitally 2: Love and Dissent in the Time of Pandemic” (https://www.benildecampusart.com/exhibit/to-differ-digitally).

The project is a collaboration between the CCA headed by Architect Gerry Torres and the DLS-CSB New Media Cluster under Associate Dean Maria Sharon Mapa Arriola. This is the second time in four years that the CCA is spearheading this kind of undertaking with NMC faculty. Karen Ocampo-Flores co-curated the online exhibit with Torres.

For more information about TDD2, visit CCA’s social media accounts on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BenildeCampusArt), Twitter (https://twitter.com/csbcampusart), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/benilde.campusart/) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/BenildeCampusArt). 

Lacson to reduce poverty through education

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson plans to solve the country’s serious poverty problem by providing more people the opportunity to get an education.

In his latest video, the presidential aspirant, who has battled government corruption throughout his career in public service, points out that many young people are forced to drop out of school because of the need to help their families and because being in school is proving to be a heavy financial burden. Thus, they remain mired in poverty because without a good education their prospects are limited so they often have to settle for jobs that do not pay much.

He will launch an innovative Edukasyon Plus program if elected President that will provide free education and institute a government internship program. Each family will receive a P5,000 monthly allowance during their family members’ internship. Lacson believes that this arrangement will allow students to focus on their studies as they will not be under pressure to help their families.

“Even if education is free, young people cannot finish their studies because they have to help their families. If this vicious cycle continues, when will they be able to lift themselves from a life of poverty?” he says.

Studies show that among member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippines have the highest school dropout rate.

Lacson is convinced that education is the only way to give people the chance of a better future and to improve the lives of Filipinos, many, if not most, of whom still live below the poverty line. People remain mired in poverty, unable to get better-paying jobs, for lack of education, he stresses.

With Edukasyon Plus, young people can avail of free education and participate in a government internship program that will pay their families a monthly allowance. “They won’t have to choose anymore between education and work to help their families,” Lacson says. He believes the program will help many people leave behind lives of poverty.

“Edukasyon Plus is the real solution to the problem of poverty,” Lacson adds.


Lacson and his running mate, Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto, are running on the slogan “Aayusin ang gobierno, aayusin ang buhay mo.” (They will fix the government and put your life in order.)



For more info on Ping Lacson, follow https://www.facebook.com/PingLacsonOfficial.