PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.’s Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) has traveled to the heart of the Davao region and rolled out a whopping P1.2 billion in government services and financial aid to 250,000 beneficiaries Thursday until Friday in Davao City.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the main proponent of the BPSF, said the service caravan in Davao was in partnership with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and carried the theme, “MindaNOW: Serbisyo Para sa Mindanao.”
“Nagbalik tayong muli dito para ipabatid ang mensahe ni Pangulong Marcos na mahalaga ang mga taga-Mindanao sa Bagong Pilipinas. No one is left behind. Iyan ang nais ipabatid ng ating mahal na Pangulo sa lahat ng binisita ng BPSF sa ating bansa,” Speaker Romualdez said.
Speaker Romualdez represented President Marcos during the opening of the Davao City BPSF, which was held at the University of Southeastern Philippines.
“At dahil sa pagkakaisa ng mga opisyal at kawani ng pamahalaan, kasama ang mga miyembro ng Kongreso, muli tayong nakapaghatid ng serbisyo’t tulong sa mga taga-Davao. Isusulong natin ang Bagong Pilipinas na ang lahat ng programa ng gobyerno, nadadama ng bawat Pilipino,” the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives added.
The BPSF in Davao City is the 23rd installment of the service caravan and was locally spearheaded by MinDA Sec. Leo Tereso Magno, in coordination with Tinggog Reps. Yedda K. Romualdez and Jude A. Acidre, DUMPER PTDA Rep. Claudine Diana D. Bautista-Lim, PBA Rep. Margarita “Migs” Nograles, and MARINO Rep. Sandro L. Gonzalez.
The program aims to cover all 82 provinces nationwide, bringing with it the advocacy of a “Mabilis, Maayos, Maginhawa at Masayang Serbisyo Publiko.”
This was the 3rd BPSF in the Davao Region, with the first being in Monkayo, Davao de Oro during the nationwide launch last September 2023 and in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last June 2024.
According to House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias “Ponyong” P. Gabonada, Jr., an official of the BPSF, P1.2 billion was spent for government services and financial assistance to 250,000 beneficiaries, with 38 participating agencies rolling out 57 programs. P1 billion of this amount was in the form of cash aid to indigent citizens.
He said a whopping 150,000 beneficiaries benefited from DSWD’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), while 50,000 citizens received cash aid under DOLE’s Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program.
True to his nickname, Mr. Rice, Speaker Romualdez bared that almost half a million kilos of rice was distributed to various beneficiaries within the two days of the BPSF in Davao City.
“Marami tayong dapat ipagpasalamat at ipagdiwang. Nakaisang taon na ang BPSF at bilyun-bilyon na ang naipamigay ng administrasyong Marcos sa 2.5 milyong pamilyang Pilipino. Madami pa tayong aabutin sa mga susunod na araw at buwan, susuyurin natin ang lahat ng 82 na lalawigan,” Speaker Romualdez said.
The BPSF is now the embodiment of a convergence mechanism for a whole-of-government and a whole-of-nation approach to nation-building and reigniting national pride, a testament to President Marcos’ vision of ensuring that in the Bagong Pilipinas, no Filipino is left behind.
