MANILA, Philippines — The government will include motorcycle taxi riders among those eligible to receive the P5,000 financial assistance intended for individuals in crisis situations, according to Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez.
In an interview on Friday, Lopez said motorcycle taxi riders fell under ride-hailing services cited in the special provisions of the 2025 national budget, making them qualified beneficiaries of the aid program.
“Under the special provision in the 2025 budget, those ride-hailing services are included,” Lopez said in a briefing. “We consider motorcycle taxi riders as part of ride-hailing services.”
He added that the assistance program was also aligned with the government’s classification of beneficiaries as individuals in crisis situations.
The Transport chief said that discussions were ongoing on the inclusion of other transport network services, including transport network vehicle services (TNVS) and taxis.
Lopez estimated that around 60,000 motorcycle taxi riders nationwide could benefit from the program, including those operating in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.
However, he acknowledged that there was still no finalized list of beneficiaries as some sectors, including motorcycle taxi services, remain under pilot testing.
Despite this, Lopez maintained that motorcycle taxi riders would be covered under the aid program once the implementation details are finalized.
