CEBU CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Field Office 7 had disbursed a total of ₱74,290,000 in cash assistance under its Cash Relief Assistance (CRA) program for the 14,858 tricycle drivers across Central Visayas distributed during the National Simultaneous Payout as of April 2026.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Operations Paul Ledesma and Field Office 7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie Lucero engaged with the recipients at the event, with beneficiaries coming from the 10 cities in Cebu and Bohol, with each qualified tricycle driver receiving ₱5,000 in financial aid with the local government units facilitating the payout operations.
Dominador Alforque, a beneficiary from Cebu City shared his experience upon receiving the money. “Dako kaayo ning gamit jud namo tungod sa sige’g saka sa gasolina ron. Ang proseso, wala ray lima ka minuto—approved dayon!” (This is a big help for us due to the non-stop increase in gasoline prices. The process only took five minutes, approval is immediate.)
Amadeo Pilos, a beneficiary from Tagbilaran City, Bohol agreed on the fast and immediate processing of the documents from verification to approval only took minutes and the DSWD staff were very accommodating.
“Our mission is clear: to ensure that timely assistance reaches our tricycle drivers who are most affected by the rising fuel costs. With the guidance of our Secretary, DSWD-7 successfully carried out the payout through the collective effort of the agency and the LGUs. Moreover, this initiative would not have been as successful without the trust and cooperation of our beneficiaries,” Lucero said, adding that a special payout will be conducted for beneficiaries who were unable to claim their cash assistance during the initial rollout, with the schedule to be announced soon.
The Central Visayas beneficiaries included those from Tagbilaran City with 2,755 tricycle drivers; Bogo City with 1,649; Danao City with 377; Mandaue City with 1,548; Cebu City with 591: Lapu-Lapu City with 3,487; Talisay City with 1,749; City of Naga with 148; Carcar City with 1,102; and Toledo City with 1,452 beneficiaries.
Lucero said that the cash assistance aims to help ease the financial burden of tricycle drivers affected by the continuous increase in fuel prices amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. To ensure a fast and orderly distribution of assistance, DSWD-7 deployed personnel across the 10 local government units (LGUs) to facilitate the payout operations.
The agency also worked closely with partner LGUs in providing venues, medical stations, verification teams, and security personnel to ensure a safe, organized, and convenient payout process for beneficiaries. Through active coordination with LGUs and partner agencies, no untoward incidents were reported during the payouts.
Real-Time monitoring and transparency enhanced
the smoother flow of the payout operations, which system allowed the agency to
efficiently track disbursements, avoid duplication, and ensure transparency and
accountability throughout the process. The same system will be used by the
Crisis Intervention Section (CIS) team to ensure accurate, fast, and reliable
data in future payouts, Lucero said highlighting the strong collaboration among
stakeholders. (Photos: DSWD7-FB Posts)
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