MANILA — Ninety-six percent of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and other transport workers who received P5,000 in fuel assistance said the aid helped them stay on or return to their routes, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto cited the findings in a statement on Tuesday, saying the government would use them to improve the delivery of assistance and to find ways to give transport workers more sustained support. The survey was commissioned by the Australian government's Social Protection, Inclusion and Gender Equality Program.

Conducted on May 26-27, the survey covered 1,200 registered beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) cash relief. It found that 84% of respondents were satisfied with the personnel who handled thebursement, while eight in 10 used part of the grant to buy food — an indication that the grant stretched beyond fuel into basic household needs.

For transport workers whose earnings depend on daily operations, the results offer a measured read on whether fuel-cost relief is translating into continued service on the road, the situation the assistance was designed to support as fuel prices rose.

More than a third of respondents were not enrolled in any government program, including the Social Security System and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., according to the survey as cited by Mr. Recto — a snapshot of how much of the transport workforce sits outside formal safety nets even while receiving targeted aid.

"This points to an opportunity to use the DSWD's existing beneficiary database as a gateway to connect more vulnerable workers with other government services and social protection programs," Mr. Recto said.

He added that the survey provides concrete feedback on whether government assistance is reaching its intended beneficiaries.

The government has expanded the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport, a program set up to help Filipinos cope with rising fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict, to target 7.5 million vulnerable families.

As of Oct. 7, the first tranche had reached 6.49 million Filipinos, with P19.55 billion distributed. How the program moves from its first tranche toward its 7.5-million-family target — and whether the DSWD database becomes a standing bridge to enrollment in SSS, PhilHealth and other programs for transport workers — are the developments that will define its next phase. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking