Archival orders review of swelling riders’ list

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said the distribution of the city’s fuel subsidy program will have to wait after the list of beneficiaries allegedly swelled dramatically, with the number of habal-habal drivers alone jumping from 9,000 to 35,000.

In his latest press conference, Archival disclosed that, aside from motorcycle-for-hire drivers, the subsidy will also cover taxi and jeepney operators.

“Ang fuel subsidy, among gi-review because usa sa pinakadako or pinakadaghan nga lista is ang habal-habal drivers.. Gikan sa nine thousand, nahimong 35 thousand.. Unya imagine-non nimo, tagaan nimog usa ka libo, kuwangon na daan… Unya, naa pay mga taxi, mga drivers sa jeepney,” Archival said.

Archival further disclosed that even some government employees working in barangays were found to be included in the list.

“Among nabantayan karon, naay mga government (employees) nga naa sa mga barangay nagtrabaho nalista didto sa habal-habal,” Archival said.

He stressed that the city must first conduct verification to ensure that only legitimate drivers will benefit from the government's aid.

“If you give this directly, without verification, wala… dili ni maadto sa saktong mga klarung mga driver,” he added, noting that the process will take time as the city weeds out questionable entries.

Archival said P30 million is already in place for the subsidy.

However, records show that the approved Supplemental Budget No. 1 for 2026 actually allocated P35 million for drivers’ fuel assistance, part of a P981.9 million package of expenditures. The allocation falls under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, alongside appropriations for garbage hauling, peace and order manpower, and infrastructure projects.

The city subsidy is intended to augment national government aid, including the P5,000 fuel assistance distributed to drivers across Central Visayas, amid continued volatility in fuel prices brought about by global supply disruptions following the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year, which triggered one of the largest oil supply shocks in history.

Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover had earlier raised concerns about the integrity of the list, warning against the inclusion of ghost drivers.

He argued that barangay captains should be responsible for validating beneficiaries to prevent fraud and the misuse of public funds.

City Ordinance No. 3095 also created the Motorcycle-for-Hire Regulatory Board to oversee the registration and accreditation of drivers.

Alcover had earlier criticized the mayor’s office for bypassing agreed safeguards during budget hearings, accusing the executive of politicizing the subsidy.

However, Alcover revealed that when he and Archival met at a reunion at their alma mater, Abellana National School, the latter reportedly assured him that barangay captains would be involved in the verification process. — (FREEMAN)