Petron Corporation, an oil company that has partnered with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to help the transportation needs of medical front-liners amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis, has extended its fuel subsidy for participating vehicle units in the Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program until July 31.
The extension of the fuel subsidy follows the decision of the government to extend the general community quarantine (GCQ) over Metro Manila until July 31 due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.
DOTr Undersecretary for Administrative Affairs Artemio Tuazon Jr. expressed his gratitude for the continued support being given by Petron Corporation to the department’s effort to provide frontline health workers with comfortable and convenient transportation during the GCQ.
“The extension of the fuel subsidy is a welcome development. Secretary (Arthur) Tugade, and the whole of DOTr, are grateful for Petron’s generosity to extend the assistance until July 31 for this greatly helps our health workers, especially now that the NCR and its neighboring regions remain under GCQ,” Tuazon said.
Since last April 7, Petron Corporation has been providing free fuel under the DOTr Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program in the National Capital Region. The program aims to ferry frontline health workers to hospitals and medical communities daily, as the country continues contain the spread of Covid-19.
As of July 17, Petron Corporation had provided the program with 255,000 liters of diesel fuel worth PHP7.9 million.
Petron’s fuel subsidy was made possible through the donation of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Infrastructure.
Petron has assured that it will be providing 60 vehicles participating in the DOTr’s Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program with 50 liters of fuel each per day, or a total daily allocation of 3,000 liters daily until July 31.
Four Petron stations were initially assigned to accommodate participating private bus units carrying front-liners. These Petron stations are located at Filinvest in Alabang, Macapagal Boulevard in Parañaque City, East Avenue in Quezon City and in Mandaluyong City.
The DOTr Free Ride Service for Health Workers Program, which started on March 18, 2020, is a collaborative effort between the DOTr and various government agencies, as well as private transport companies to ferry frontline health workers since the start of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
Aside from Petron, the DOTr also teamed up with other oil firms such as CleanFuel and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., which also extended their respective fuel subsidy programs until May 31. The other oil companies that have provided fuel subsidies were Seaoil Philippines and Total Philippines.
As of July 17, the program reached 1,354,378 total ridership nationwide. (PNA)