8,500 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas get rice, financial aid in region-wide payout of MEGA BPSF

A total of 8,500 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas have received rice, educational, and livelihood assistance under three programs conceived and spearheaded by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez under the instruction of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. to provide financial aid to struggling sectors that are not part of the government’s major social protection programs.

Speaker Romualdez has always been a main proponent of the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, the Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL), and the Integrated Scholarship and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP for the Youth).

“Kapag may Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair sa isang lugar, isinasabay na rin natin ang CARD, SIBOL, at ISIP para matulungan natin ang mga sektor na hindi man nakasama sa 4Ps program ay alam nating nahihirapan sa hamon ng pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay,” Speaker Romualdez, a lawyer from University of the Philippines (UP), said.

“Kaya naman naisipan nating ilunsad itong tatlong programang ito para matulungan ang mga sektor ng senior citizens, PWD, single parent, IPs, estudyante at maliliit na negosyante na apektado ng kahirapan. Ito po ang hangarin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, ang maabot ang lahat ng kailangan ng tulong,” Speaker Romualdez, the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives, said.

All three programs, Speaker Romualdez said, utilized funds allocated for the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The CARD Program is a revolutionary initiative of Speaker Romualdez that aims to provide cash and rice assistance to the most vulnerable sectors of society through the legislative districts of the House of Representatives.

A total of 3,000 beneficiaries in Eastern Samar each received P5,000 and 20 kilograms of rice in a simple ceremony held at the Tacloban City Astrodome Friday.

The CARD program not only intends to boost the purchasing power of the public but also serves as a strategic measure against hoarding and price manipulation of rice stocks, and it represents a joint effort to address the challenges of rising rice prices and promote economic stability for the benefit of the Filipino people.

The SIBOL Program, meanwhile, aims to help struggling small Filipino entrepreneurs cope with the rising costs of goods. It aims to encourage start-up businesses that will serve as a dual solution for poverty alleviation and support during crises, providing individuals with sustainable opportunities that contribute to economic empowerment and resilience in challenging times.

A total of 2,500 beneficiaries from Eastern Visayas each received P5,000 in cash aid and 5 kilograms of Rice in a distribution ceremony held at the HRDC Alba Hall, Leyte Normal University Friday.

The ISIP for the Youth Program, meanwhile, is a financial assistance programs for struggling college students who cannot afford the costs of education.

It is also an initiative of Speaker Romualdez in collaboration with government agencies, to assist deserving students facing financial challenges in pursuing quality education.

A total of 3,000 student-beneficiaries each received P5,000 and 5 kilograms of rice in a ceremony held at the Leyte Academic Center in Tacloban City Friday.

Beneficiaries under this program will also be enrolled under Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to a total of P15,000, as well as priority slots under the Government Internship Program (GIP) after their graduation.

As an added benefit, their unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-
TUPAD Program.

“Basta may BPSF, isisingit na rin natin ang CARD, SIBOL at ISIP programs para matulungan ang lahat ng sektor. Sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas campaign ng ating Pangulo, kasama ang lahat sa pag-unlad at direkta ang suporta at serbisyong ibibigay sa mga mamamayan,” Speaker Romualdez said.