Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) has reached the peaks of Benguet, rolling out a total of P412 million in cash aid and government programs to 80,000 beneficiaries in the province.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, one of the major proponents of the service caravan, led a total of 70 participating national government agencies in delivering over 326 services directly to the people of Benguet, which includes the distribution of some P261 million worth of financial aid.
“Inilulunsad po natin ngayong araw ang Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair sa inyong lalawigan. Ito po ay binuo bilang pagtalima sa utos ng ating mahal na Pangulo, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., na aktibong abutin ng gobyerno ang mga taong kanyang pinaglilingkuran,” said Romualdez, the leader of the 300 plus-member House of Representatives, during the opening of the BPSF at the Benguet State University in La Trinidad.
The veteran legislator said the BPSF is the fulfillment of the promise of Marcos that he would bring the government closer to the Filipino people.
The BPSF in Benguet is the first in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and is the 15th installment of the service caravan that aims to cover all 82 provinces nationwide.
“Sa Serbisyo Fair na ito, kusa pong lumapit sa inyo ang iba’t ibang sangay ng pamahalaan upang maghatid ng tulong na inyong kailangan.”
“Sa Serbisyo Fair na ito, kusa pong lumapit sa inyo ang iba’t ibang sangay ng pamahalaan upang maghatid ng tulong na inyong kailangan tungo sa ating sama-samang pag-unlad,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
“Ang mensahe po na pinaabot namin sa inyo ngayong araw: kahit bundok po aakyatin, para masigurado na wala pong maiiwan sa pagtataguyod natin ng Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.
Benguet Lone District Representative Eric Go Yap served as the local host of the event, with the support of Benguet Governor Melchor Diclas.
The Benguet leg of the BPSF, attended by 63 members of the House of Representatives posted the highest recorded attendance of lawmakers in the service caravan, nosing out the Agusan del Norte leg of the BPSF, which drew 62 solons.
All in all, the BPSF distributed a total of P261 million in cash aid and P151 million in in-kind assistance in Benguet, which includes P110 million in social services, P10 million in health services, P50 million in agricultural services, P180 million in livelihood services, P35 million in educational assistance, P25 million in other government services and P1 million in regulatory services.
“Sadyain po natin ang bawat sangay ng pamahalaan na narito, at magtanong kung paano sila makakatulong sa inyo sa ating nais na mas magandang kinabukasan, ito man ay karagdagang impormasyon, dagdag-kaalaman o pagsasanay, trabaho, dagdag-puhunan o ayuda,” Romualdez told Benguet residents.
“Ang mga programang pinondohan ng buwis na inyong pinagpaguran ay naibabalik din sa inyo.”
“Nagagalak po kami sa Kamara de Representante na makasama kayo ngayong araw at masaksihan dito sa Serbisyo Fair na ang mga programang pinondohan ng buwis na inyong pinagpaguran ay naibabalik din sa inyo, sa pamamagitan ng iba’t-ibang programang ipinatutupad ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan,” he added.
Among the services offered by BPSF was a province-wide payout in all 13 municipalities and one city of Benguet, which saw the distribution of financial aid to 50,000 residents under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) — a program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)– amounting to P100 million.
Other province-wide activities include various scholarship programs of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education and livelihood assistance for various sectors among pre-identified eligible residents across Benguet.
The BPSF in Benguet also marked the participation of the private sector, such as the Benguet Laboratories, which provided a mobile van offering various health services, and the NLEX Corporation which offered RFID installation services.
Also, true to his moniker as “Mr. Rice,” Romualdez led the distribution of a total of 160,000 kilograms of rice to selected beneficiaries of the BPSF in Benguet, highlighting the importance of the Filipino staple in the lives of thousands of families.
“Your smiles, as you receive the assistance that the government extends, make the job that we do worthwhile and encourage us in the House of Representatives to think of new and better ways to help each and every Filipino realize his full potential,” he said.
“Umasa po kayo na kami po na inyong mga kinatawan, baon ang inyong mga ngiti ngayong araw, ay hindi titigil at lalo pang magtatrabaho upang ang pangako ng pagkakaisa at pambansang kaunlaran ay ating makamit sa mas mabilis na panahon,” Romualdez concluded.
A Pagkakaisa Concert was held during the first night of the BPSF in Benguet held at the Benguet State University oval with free admission, which drew a crowd of at least 10,000 people.
