The Cebu Provincial Government distributed ₱24.41 million in financial assistance to 8,138 motorcycle taxi (habal-habal) drivers across 26 local government units as of Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Program validation requirements, including securing barangay certifications and clearance from recognized driver associations, have caused distribution delays in certain areas, according to PPDO's Elizar Sabinay Jr.
The ₱142 million relief initiative also includes a staggered 10-kilogram rice subsidy program covering affected transport workers, farmers, fisherfolk, jeepney drivers, and bus terminal personnel.
THE Cebu Provincial Government has distributed P24.41 million in financial assistance to 8,138 motorcycle taxi (habal-habal) drivers across 26 local government units (LGUs) as of Thursday, May 28, 2026.
Elizar Sabinay Jr. of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) said on Monday, June 1, that the program aims to cover 47,546 drivers provincewide, with a total estimated budget of P142 million.
The assistance is intended to help transport workers affected by recent natural disasters and supplement existing aid programs for sectors impacted by the global fuel crisis.
The Provincial Government is also set to provide rice subsidies to farmers and fisherfolk on a staggered basis.
Sabinay said around 20,000 potential beneficiaries are currently being evaluated in Cebu’s first district, while validation is ongoing for 7,426 drivers in Mandaue City.
He said strict validation requirements have contributed to delays in some areas. To qualify, drivers must secure a barangay certification and clearance from a recognized habal-habal association.
“Some associations may have been newly created, so they need to discuss with the barangay and prove they existed before (not an association created just for this). That is why validation takes time,” Sabinay said.
Based on Provincial Government data, all seven LGUs in the second district have completed payouts: Alcoy, Argao, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Oslob, Samboan and Santander.
In the fourth district, Bantayan, Madridejos and Santa Fe have also completed distribution.
Fuel subsidy payouts were likewise completed in the fifth district municipalities of Catmon, San Francisco, Tudela, Poro and Pilar, as well as in Cordova in the sixth district.
The seventh district posted a 100 percent completion rate across Dumanjug, Ronda, Alcantara, Moalboal, Badian, Alegria, Malabuyoc and Ginatilan.
Meanwhile, Tuburan was the only LGU in the third district to complete its payout during this distribution cycle.
Aside from cash assistance, the Provincial Government is rolling out a rice distribution program in partnership with the National Government. Qualified transport workers will receive 10 kilograms of rice per round for up to three rounds.
The first round of rice distribution has been completed in 26 LGUs. Sabinay said the next rounds could begin in June or July, depending on repacking schedules and distribution timelines set by the Office of the President.
The rice subsidy program also covers vulnerable sectors, including farmers, fisherfolk, jeepney drivers and personnel assigned to the north and south bus terminals. / CDF