At least 120,000 indigent residents get various services and assistance from the national government through the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Cavite on Friday.

Speaker Martin Romualdez and 200 members of the House of Representatives attended the service caravan at the Emilio Aguinaldo Elementary School in Kawit, Cavite.

“Together with our lawmakers, we are bringing meaningful change to our communities,” Romualdez said, expressing optimism about the continued success of the BPSF.

The BPSF in Cavite is part of a broader initiative aiming to visit all 82 provinces in the country, bringing government services closer to the people.

Romualdez noted that the services provided such as cash and medical assistance, scholarships, and livelihood programs worth PHP1 billion, had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of Caviteños.

“With this kind of cooperation and participation, we are ensuring that government services reach even the farthest corners of the country,” he stated.

Romualdez said a total of 25,000 Caviteños also benefitted from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s three revolutionary financial assistance programs that were also rolled out in Cavite to help more vulnerable sectors, students, and struggling small entrepreneurs.

Romualdez said the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, Integrated Scholarships and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP) Program, and the Start-Up, Investments, Business Opportunities and Livelihood (SIBOL) Program continue to provide relief to citizens in need.

“I am very pleased that these programs continue to flourish and continue to provide much-needed aid to our citizens who are not included in established social amelioration programs like the 4Ps,” he said.

For the CARD program, a total of 10,000 beneficiaries from all over Cavite each received PHP5,000 in cash assistance as well as 10 kilograms of rice in a simple distribution ceremony at the Imus City Grandstand.

Romualdez is the main proponent of this program, which assist vulnerable sectors such as indigent senior citizens, persons with disabilities, single parents, indigenous peoples, and others to aid in the daily cost of living.

The fund used for the cash assistance came from the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

For the ISIP for the Youth – another program crafted by Speaker Romualdez – a total of 5,000 students received PHP5,000 in financial aid and five kilograms of rice in a distribution ceremony held at the Bacoor Elementary School. Beneficiaries from this program receive financial assistance as they pursue tertiary and vocational education, to aid them in their continued education.

The funds used for this came from the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the DSWD.

Benefits for students enrolled in this program include enrollment under CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) where students can get scholarship assistance per year amounting to a total of P15,000; priority slots under the Government Internship Program (GIP); and enrollment of their unemployed parents or guardians to the DOLE-TUPAD Program.

The distribution ceremony for the SIBOL Program took place at the Maple Grove in General Trias and saw 10,000 MSME beneficiaries each receiving PHP5,000 in financial assistance and five kilograms of rice. The funds used for this program also came from AKAP.

“These programs reflect our dedication to ensuring that no Filipino is left behind. Whether through education, financial assistance, or entrepreneurship, we are providing opportunities for growth,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez also attended the BPSF at the Imus Track Oval where 10,000 indigent residents received cash and medical assistance as well as livelihood programs.

Julita Trinidad, a resident of Mary Cris Homes in Imus, thanked the national government for providing financial assistance to the indigent residents like her.

“Napalaking tulong para sa amin itong PHP5,000 at 10 kilos na bigas. Malaking tulong pambili ng gamot ng asawa ko (These PHP5,000 and 10 kilograms of rice will really help us a lot. It will help to buy medicines for my husband),” said Trinidad, whose husband, Reynaldo, is still recovering from stroke. (PNA)