THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is sending feelers to more toll road operators about a rebate program for trucks transporting agricultural products.
In a statement on Thursday, Agriculture Undersecretary Arrey A. Perez said the DA is awaiting confirmation from San Miguel Corp. and other tollway operators, including those associated with the Villar group, on their participation in the program.
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), meanwhile, has reinstated toll rebates across its network, he said.
Through its subsidiaries — NLEX Corp., Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., and MPCALA Holdings Inc. — MPTC confirmed in an Oct. 9 letter to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) that it had reinstated the toll rebate program, effective Oct. 1.
The DA said the program will remain in effect until Nov. 30, with rebates for qualified transactions already being credited to eligible subscribers’ accounts as of Oct. 8.
The program covers trucks and cargo vehicles transporting agricultural products and other goods accredited by the DA.
Instead of receiving an upfront discount at toll plazas, qualified vehicles pay the regular toll, after which the rebate is credited to their radio frequency identification accounts, the DA said.
The arrangement provides an estimated rebate of 7% to 8%, with credits issued after the transaction period, the DA said.
According to the published rates, a Class 1 vehicle traveling between Tipo and Balintawak, or vice versa, pays P61 under the rebate arrangement, against the regular toll of P772.
Class 2 vehicles pay P134 instead of P1,745, while Class 3 vehicles pay P184 instead of P2,315.
For the Tarlac-Balintawak route, the corresponding rates are P43 for Class 1 vehicles, P99 for Class 2 vehicles, and P131 for Class 3 vehicles, compared with regular tolls of P585, P1,348, and P1,754, respectively.
The DA sought toll relief for the cargo operators to help curb food inflation and stabilizing the distribution costs of agricultural goods, Mr. Perez said.
The DA noted MPTC’s concerns about the financial impact of continuing toll discounts and exemptions on its revenue, operations, and investment obligations outlined in its concession agreements.
MPTC said its participation reflects its support to mitigate the effects of the fuel crisis, though it reserves its rights on matters affecting its contractual obligations.
The DA, through the Department of Transportation and the TRB, first approached tollway operators in September to seek toll relief for agricultural goods.
The DA is also updating its registry of eligible truck operators and delivery vehicles to ensure that only qualified beneficiaries receive the rebates.
Mr. Perez added that operators must update their information with the DA, which is validating its list, before submitting the roster of qualified beneficiaries to the TRB. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz