Cayetano gives fund aid to Bohol drivers

LOON, BOHOL, Philippines – Senator Alan Peter Cayetano visited this town to turn over financial assistance of P75,000 each to members of tricycle drivers association, and P50,000 to a women's group here.

The fund assistance was intended to help members of the associations and "discourage them from borrowing money from loan sharks that charge very high interests rates," said the senator, adding that this is under his "Kontra 5-6" program, which he promised during the campaign for the 2013 elections.

The micro-financing mechanism allows members of cooperatives, entrepreneur groups and organizations more and wider access to capital that they can use to improve their livelihood and increase their income, said Cayetano.

"These hardworking people are not just PUV drivers. They are also drivers of the country's economy. I believe they deserve to get all the assistance that they need to sustain their livelihood. So we decided to grant them access to capital through our program," he said.

Cayetano was welcomed by town officials, led Mayor Peter Lloyd Lopez. He also dropped by Maribojoc town, where he was met by Vice Mayor Fructuso Redulla, and distributed similar financial aid to a similar group of drivers.