P286 million worth of govt programs, cash and livelihood aid poured into BPSF CDO

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s roving nationwide Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) has rolled out a total of P286 million in government programs as well as cash, scholarship and livelihood assistance to around 30,000 beneficiaries in Cagayan de Oro City for the two-day event held from May 16 to 17.

Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, a main proponent of the BPSF, led the opening of the 17th installment of the Service Caravan that aims to bring government services and financial aid programs closer to the people in all 82 provinces in the country at the Dr. Ricardo E. Rotoras (DRER) Memorial Hall, USTP in Cagayan de Oro.

“Isa na namang matagumpay na BPSF ang ating naisagawa sa CDO itong nakaraang dalawang araw. Target po natin ang mga lalawigan sa Mindanao, kaya isusunod na natin ang Tawi-Tawi at Davao del Norte matapos tayong manggaling sa Zamboanga City nitong nakaraan,” Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus-member House of Representatives, said.

So far, CDO is the sixth Mindanao area to be serviced by the BPSF, next to Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Sultan Kudarat and Davao de Oro. In the following weeks, BPSF will go to Tawi-Tawi and Davao del Norte, bringing the total number of Mindanao areas served by the program to eight.

“Ito po ang hangarin ng ating mahal na Pangulong Marcos Jr., ang direktang benepisyo sa ating mga mamamayan. Ang gobyerno na po ang pupunta sa inyo, hatid ang daan-daang programa at mga programa sa ayuda para siguruhing lahat ng mamamayan ay kasama natin sa pag-unlad,” Romualdez said.

CDO Rep. Lordan G. Suan served as the local host for the BPSF in the city, which saw the attendance of a total of 53 members of the House of Representatives across all regions.

With 38 participating national government agencies, over 213 services were offered to 30,000 beneficiaries during the two-day festival of services in BPSF CDO. A total of P286 million worth of programs and services were brought to the city, P180 million of which came in the form of cash assistance.

Among the services offered by DSWD will be a massive city-wide offsite payout across all barangays in Cagayan de Oro City, which is expected to reach over 26,000 individual AICS beneficiaries amounting to P168 million.

Speaker Romualdez lived up to his reputation as “Mr. Rice” by distributing a total of 200,000 kilograms of rice to identified BPSF beneficiaries.

Coinciding with the BPSF in CDO is the launching of government programs such as Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL) and the Integrated Scholarship and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP for the Youth), both of which had been formulated with the help of Speaker Romualdez.

The SIBOL Program is an initiative of Speaker Romualdez, which aims to encourage start-up businesses to 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 3,000 beneficiaries consisting of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) business owners in CDO stand to receive P5,000 each through the DSWD AICS on the second day of the BPSF. Each beneficiary would also get 5 kilograms of rice in simple payout rites at the West Central Elementary School Gym on May 17.

ISIP for the Youth is also an initiative of Speaker Romualdez in collaboration with government agencies to assist deserving students facing financial challenges in pursuing quality education.

The program aims to empower disadvantaged Filipino youth, enabling them to contribute to nation-building. It targets tertiary and vocational education students.

A total 2,000 students will receive P2,000 each in financial assistance every six months through the DSWD AICS to cover tuition and other expenses. Identified student beneficiaries will be enrolled under CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to a total of P15,000.

Priority slots under the Government Internship Program (GIP) are offered for employment after graduation and unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the DOLE- TUPAD Program. All identified beneficiaries will also receive 5 kilos of rice during the rollout at the Limketkai Center Atrium on May 17.

During the second day of the BPSF in CDO, a Pagkakaisa Concert will also be held that is expected to draw  crowd of at least 10,000 people.