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| Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and House Speaker Martin Romualdez (2nd and 3rd from left, 2nd row) lead the ceremonial distribution of services and cash assistance during the opening program of the 22nd Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair at Aboitiz Pitch in Lima Park, Lipa City, Batangas last August 24, 2024 which distributed Php563M worth of programs and cash assistance to over 60,000 Batangueños. (Image Source: Philippine News Agency/Office Of House Speaker Martin Romualdez) |
The Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), the country’s biggest service and convergence caravan, rolled out a total of Php563M worth of government services and financial aid for over 60,000 individuals in the province of Batangas. Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary and former Batangas congressman Ralph Recto served as the local host of the fair's 22nd edition BPSF held last August 24-25, 2024 in Lipa City which featured 50 participating agencies with over 200 services.
The BPSF's first stop in the CALABARZON region was held last November 2023 in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. The service caravan in Batangas is the 22nd installment of the BPSF which aims to reach all 82 provinces nationwide. In only a year since its launch, more than Php10B worth of assistance were already provided to 2.5 million families in 21 service caravan installments in different parts of the country. “Natutuwa tayo sa pagbabalik natin sa BPSF mula sa pahayag ng mas pinatinding interes ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa service caravan na nagbigay ng ibayong motivation sa ating (We are happy with the return of the BPSF following an intensified interest from President Marcos on the service caravan, which boosted the motivation of our) organizers,” said House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the opening program held at the Aboitiz Pitch in Lima Park. Romualdez added, “Kailangan nang itayo ang mga serbisyo at tulong center sa bawat lalawigan sa Pilipinas. Serbisyo ng gobyerno, direkta na sa tao. Ito ang pangako ni Pangulong Marcos sa ating mga kababayan (We need to establish service and assistance centers in every province of the Philippines. Government services, direct to the people. That’s the promise of President Marcos to our countrymen)." He said the BPSF is the embodiment of a convergence mechanism for a whole-of-government and a whole-of-nation approach to nation-building, carrying out the commitment of President Marcos that no Filipino is left behind.
Romualdez also led the distribution of rice and cash aid to 9,000 beneficiaries under three programs that target the vulnerable sectors that do not receive financial assistance from any established social amelioration program of the government. These are the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD), Integrated Scholarships and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP), and the Start-Up, Investments, Business Opportunities and Livelihood (SIBOL). For the CARD program, 3,000 beneficiaries received Php5,000 each at Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and 20 kilograms of rice. For the ISIP Program, 3,000 students received Php5,000 each also under the DSWD-AKAP and 5 kilograms of rice in a distribution at the Lipa Academy of Sports, Culture and Arts (LASCA). Beneficiaries will receive Php5,000 from the program every six months to cover tuition and other expenses. Identified student-beneficiaries will be enrolled under Commission on Higher Education (CHED)’s Tulong Dunong Program where students can get scholarship assistance per year amounting to Php15,000. They will also get priority slots under the Government Internship Program after graduation while their unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers short-term employment program. SIBOL, meanwhile, offers opportunities for entrepreneurs and supports micro, small and medium enterprises and start-up businesses through a convergence of government initiatives and private sector efforts with substantial capital infusion. A total of 3,000 small-time entrepreneurs received Php5,000 each and 5 kilograms of rice in the distribution held at Claro M. Recto Events Center.
Various national and local government officials were able to attend and witness the said festivities amidst unexpected weather conditions including Lipa City Mayor Eric B. Africa, Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo among others while participating government agencies were able to assist those availing and inquiring about the services offered upon visiting their respective booths at The Outlets at Lipa. Adding flavor to the 22nd Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair was the highly-anticipated Pagbabago concert capping off the first day of the fair headlined by musical performances from Flow G, Yeng Constantino, Kelvin Miranda, Quest and VXON among other exciting guests. Indeed, the 22nd Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair was, without argument, one for the books not just in the province of Batangas, but also in the city of Lipa. Highlights of the 22nd BPSF as well as the Pagbabago concert, in full, can be viewed on the official Facebook page of Talino At Puso.
