Cebu City Council questions fuel subsidy validation amid payout delay

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Local councilors here questioned the validation process for the city’s P35-million fuel subsidy after reports surfaced that implementing offices allegedly prepared new beneficiary lists through barangay managers rather than using previously consolidated lists from accredited habal-habal organizations.

The issue surfaced during the Cebu City Council’s regular session on Tuesday, July 28, when Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover delivered a privilege speech urging the city government to immediately release the approved fuel subsidy for qualified habal-habal drivers while strictly following the validation guidelines agreed upon before the council approved the funding.

Alcover said the continued delay has left thousands of drivers waiting despite Mayor Nestor Archival’s earlier commitment to release the assistance in the second week of July.

“The drivers have already waited long enough,” Alcover told the council.

He said the council had appropriated P35 million specifically to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on transport workers whose incomes continue to shrink as petroleum costs climb.

List of beneficiaries

Alcover, however, said concerns now center not only on the delayed distribution but also on how the city validated the list of beneficiaries.

According to him, the council earlier agreed that legitimate transport organizations would first consolidate the names of qualified habal-habal drivers before barangay captains verified their residency and eligibility.

However, he said drivers registered with his office informed him that implementing offices allegedly prepared separate beneficiary lists through barangay managers appointed by the mayor, rather than using the existing lists submitted by recognized transport organizations.

“If these reports are accurate, they naturally raise questions among many qualified drivers who faithfully registered with recognized organizations and expected the agreed guidelines to be uniformly observed,” Alcover said in his speech.

He warned that deviating from the agreed process could create confusion and perceptions of unequal treatment among qualified beneficiaries.

Alcover said his office has organized and assisted habal-habal drivers for about five years through the city’s Motorcycle-for-Hire Riders and Motorcycle Riders Coordinating and Welfare Office, registering around 9,000 drivers.

He also cited Archival’s recent State of the City Address, where the mayor reported that Cebu City now has around 35,000 habal-habal drivers.

Clear guidelines

Councilor Franklyn Ong backed Alcover’s concerns, saying the mayor had made it clear during earlier meetings with barangay officials that barangays would certify whether applicants actually work as habal-habal drivers.

Ong said proper verification remains necessary because not everyone who owns a motorcycle relies on habal-habal driving as a livelihood.

He noted that some residents work regular jobs and only operate as habal-habal drivers after office hours, making beneficiary screening critical given the limited budget.

“Naa ma’y uban nga gatrabaho sa opisina… inig after office hours, musideline og habal-habal. Apil ba na sila?” Ong asked. (Some work in offices… then drive habal-habal after office hours. Should they also qualify?)

He said recognized habal-habal organizations already identify members who depend on motorcycle-for-hire operations as their primary source of income and expressed hope that implementing offices would properly verify certifications before releasing the subsidy.

“The intention is good… but I hope ma-properly implemented lang gyud na siya,” he said. (The intention is good… but I hope it is implemented properly.)

Registered drivers

Responding to the discussion, Alcover said the city had already created the Motorcycle-for-Hire Riders Regulatory and Welfare Office through an ordinance during the previous administration.

He said the office had registered drivers long before the fuel subsidy program emerged, issuing identification cards and organizing them into barangay-based associations under a citywide federation.

He argued that these records should already establish who legitimately works as a habal-habal driver.

Alcover claimed the list only ballooned after the city announced the subsidy.

“These are the people who registered before there was any ayuda (assistance),” Alcover said. “The problem started when the numbers became bloated after the subsidy was announced.”

Written guidelines

Presiding Officer Philip Zafra suggested expanding Alcover’s motion by requesting the mayor to reconvene the city office responsible for motorcycle-for-hire regulation and welfare.

Zafra also proposed that the council pass a resolution asking the mayor’s office to issue written guidelines governing the distribution of the subsidy.

The council approved Alcover’s omnibus motion, as amended, without objection.

Among others, the motion urges the mayor to immediately release the P35-million fuel subsidy, ensure that beneficiary validation follows the agreed guidelines, recognize lists submitted by legitimate transport organizations, and verify applicants through barangay captains to promote fairness and transparency.

Revalidation

Earlier this week, Archival defended the delay, saying the city had to repeat the profiling process after the number of listed beneficiaries surged from around 10,000 to approximately 35,000.

“Gipanon na… kinahanglan gyud ta mabalaka duha,” Archival said during a press conference on Monday, referring to his conversation with Alcover. (We discussed this… both of us need to be concerned.)

The mayor said city officials found reports that some barangay tanods, barangay employees, and even call center agents had been included in the list of supposed habal-habal drivers.

“So atong gibalik og iprofile,” he said. (So we conducted the profiling again.)

He added that barangay officials and habal-habal organizations were helping verify legitimate drivers because they know who actually operates in their communities.

Archival said the city originally targeted distribution by the end of July but decided to postpone the payout until authorities complete the validation process.

“You cannot just simply give this to 35,000 without verification,” he said.

The city allotted P35 million for the subsidy, which could translate to around P1,000 per beneficiary if all 35,000 drivers qualify, although the final number of recipients remains subject to verification.

The mayor added that the city wants to avoid complaints from drivers who might question why others received assistance while they did not.

Earlier verification plan

The latest debate follows City Hall’s earlier announcement that it would limit the locally funded subsidy to qualified Cebu City-based transport workers.

In March, Archival said the city would require proof that beneficiaries reside in Cebu City, following reports that some transport groups had submitted names of drivers from outside the city.

The city government also discussed requiring voter certification and coordinating with transport organizations to identify qualified recipients before submitting the subsidy for council approval.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.