POE ASKS GOV'T TO SPEED UP GUIDELINES FOR TRAIN SUBSIDIES

Sen. Grace Poe is set to formally request concerned government agencies to immediately release the guidelines needed to implement a number of subsidies for poor families and low-wage earners even as estimates of May inflation may exceed official targets.

Poe, who chairs the Senate committee on public services, said she will write the Finance, Transportation, Energy, Labor, Social Welfare and Education departments to request that they should issue the guidelines to immediately implement the social mitigating measures mandated under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

Poor families, students, drivers, commuters and others are already feeling the effects of increasing prices of fuel, commodities and services. Kailangan ng tamang ayuda para sa ating mga kababayan na nararapat at naaayon sa batas," Poe said.

Under Section 82 of the tax reform law, jeepney franchise holders are entitled to fuel vouchers; minimum-wage earners and the poorest 50 percent of the population are qualified for fare discounts, rice discounts and free skills training, while a total of 10 million low-income households will each receive P200 per month this year and P300 per month in 2019 and 2020.

"Ipamahagi na agad ang subsidiya dahil nauna nang inapruba ang pangongolekta ng dagdag-buwis pero hindi pa inilalabas ang kaukulang tulong sa mga mahihirap. Kailangan nang madaliin iyan dahil nangangalahati na ang taon at marami na ang umaaray sa tumataas na presyo ng produkto," Poe said.

During the hearing of Poe's panel in Albay last week, the Transport department admitted that they have yet to firm up the guidelines for fuel voucher assistance to jeepney drivers, which they said 179,000. Of the 10 million low-income households qualified for the targeted cash assistance, it was reported that only 4.4 million families have so far been given the financial subsidies.