By Felipe V. Celino
ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Around 9,000 Capicenos benefited from the Bagong Pilipinas service caravan held on October 12 and 13, 2024, at Villarreal Stadium.
Each beneficiary received PHP5,000 in financial assistance from the national government, through President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The event was made possible through the initiative of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV), led by Undersecretary Terence C. Calatrava.
The activity was supported by Capiz Governor Fredenil H. Castro, Congressman Emmanuel Billones of the 1st District, Congresswoman Jane T. Castro of the 2nd District, and the Roxas City Government under Mayor Ronnie T. Dadivas.
Eight national government agencies provided services to 72 selected beneficiaries, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others.
The financial assistance distribution was led by the DSWD through the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).
Seventeen beneficiaries under DOLE, and 19 through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program, were also given assistance.
TESDA extended support to six beneficiaries, while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assisted 10 individuals.
Other agencies, including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), assisted additional beneficiaries: eight from DTI, four from DMW, five from BFAR, and three from OWWA.
