The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has distributed ₱447,000 in fuel subsidies to public utility bus operators in the Ilocos Region as part of efforts to accelerate the release of government assistance to the transport sector.

In a press release dated April 27, LTFRB Chairman Vigor D. Mendoza II said he personally turned over the subsidy to 14 bus operators, who will then distribute the funds to drivers across the region.

The move forms part of a broader directive from Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fast-track cash assistance for transport workers, channeled through the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under Secretary Giovanni Lopez.

Mendoza also met with transport leaders in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), including representatives from jeepney, bus, taxi, and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) groups, to outline a new distribution strategy for the remaining ₱5,000 fuel subsidy beneficiaries.

Under the updated approach, the LTFRB will issue checks directly to transport service entities, which will take charge of distributing the funds to their members—a system first implemented in the Mimaropa region and now expanded to Ilocos.

The chairman also explained the rollout of the ₱10 per liter fuel subsidy discount during the meetings.

“We intend to finish the distribution of the fuel subsidy by next week. That is why we are implementing measures to expedite the distribution process,” Mendoza said, adding that regional visits are being conducted to closely supervise the rollout.

He emphasized that the agency is “exhausting all measures for fast downloading of funds” and expressed gratitude to transport groups for their cooperation, noting that completing the subsidy distribution remains a top priority of the government.