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The government made available a P1-billion fund that it said would
help drivers convert the diesel engines of their public utility
vehicles to run on fuel-saving liquefied petroleum gas or compressed
natural gas.
During the 21st anniversary celebration of the
Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board on Monday,
President Gloria Arroyo said her administration was sourcing the P1
billion from the “Katas ng VAT” for the drivers. “Katas ng
VAT” means “Fruit of VAT.” VAT stands for Value-Added Tax.
President Arroyo said the drivers of the public
utility vehicles could borrow from the fund and pay without interest
at P80 a day for two years. About 10,000 of such vehicles are being
targeted for conversion, with them running initially on 70 percent
diesel and 30 percent liquefied petroleum gas.
At present, 20,000 jeepneys and 10,000 taxis are
running on a mix of diesel and alternative fuels.
-- Angelo S. Samonte
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