Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival announced on Monday, July 27, 2026, that the city postponed its P35-million fuel subsidy distribution to revalidate applicants after the list surged from about 10,000 to roughly 35,000 due to allegedly unqualified individuals.
Cebu City Council members urged the immediate release of the funds, with Councilor Pastor Alcover stating on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, that transport workers urgently need relief from rising fuel prices caused by Middle East tensions.
Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong supported the stricter screening to prioritize full-time drivers, noting that some applicants were submitted without proper barangay endorsements or included individuals with other primary jobs.
THE Cebu City Government has postponed the release of its P35-million fuel subsidy for transport workers after discovering that several people who may not qualify—including barangay employees, barangay tanods and even call center agents—were allegedly listed as habal-habal drivers.
Mayor Nestor Archival said Monday, July 27, that City Hall had ordered another round of validation after the number of applicants swelled from about 10,000 to roughly 35,000, raising concerns that the list included individuals who are not full-time transport workers.
“We have to profile them again because there are reports that some who are not actually full-time habal-habal drivers were included,” Archival said.
The City had initially planned to release the subsidy this month but suspended distribution until the validation is completed.
Archival said City Hall has coordinated with barangay officials and recognized habal-habal organizations to verify applicants, saying they are in the best position to identify legitimate drivers operating in their communities.
“We cannot simply distribute the assistance to all 35,000 applicants without proper verification,” he said.
The subsidy, funded under Supplemental Budget 1, is intended to assist qualified transport workers, including habal-habal, jeepney, taxi, tricycle and ride-hailing drivers to cope with rising fuel costs.
The mayor said the City is also determining how much each transport sector will receive since the P35-million allocation will be shared among different groups of drivers.
Council presses for release
The delay drew criticism from members of the Cebu City Council, with Councilor Pastor Alcover urging the City to immediately release the subsidy to qualified beneficiaries.
In a privilege speech Tuesday, July 28, Alcover said transport workers continue to struggle with rising fuel prices brought about by tensions in the Middle East and reminded the executive branch that the City Council had already approved the appropriation to provide immediate relief.
He said thousands of registered habal-habal drivers have repeatedly asked his office when the promised assistance will be released.
Alcover said there had been a clear agreement that only registered and qualified drivers would receive the subsidy, with beneficiary lists to be consolidated by legitimate transport organizations and verified by barangay captains.
However, he said reports reaching his office indicated that separate beneficiary lists may have been prepared through barangay managers instead of using those submitted by recognized transport organizations.
“If these reports are accurate, they naturally raise questions among many qualified drivers who have faithfully registered with recognized organizations and expected that the agreed guidelines would be uniformly observed,” Alcover said.
He clarified that his privilege speech was not intended to challenge the executive branch but to call for transparency, fairness and faithful implementation of the approved guidelines.
Barangays back stricter screening
Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong supported the City’s decision to tighten validation, saying Archival had earlier directed that certifications for habal-habal drivers should pass through barangays.
Ong said some applicants were allegedly submitted without barangay endorsement, making it difficult to verify whether they were genuinely earning a living as habal-habal drivers.
He noted that some motorcycle owners transport passengers only after office hours as a sideline and should not automatically qualify for the subsidy.
“The budget is not enough to cover everyone who owns a motorcycle,” Ong said, stressing that the assistance should prioritize drivers who rely on habal-habal operations as their primary source of income.
He added that recognized habal-habal organizations should be part of the validation process to ensure the subsidy reaches legitimate beneficiaries.
Alcover, meanwhile, urged the City to reconvene the Motorcycle-for-Hire Regulatory and Welfare Office, created under a city ordinance during the previous administration, to help complete the verification process and ensure that only qualified transport workers receive assistance.
City Hall has yet to announce a new timetable for the release of the fuel subsidy pending completion of the revalidation. / CAV