The Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) returned to the CARAGA Region to roll out a total of P600 million in government services, programs and financial aid for 90,000 beneficiaries in Surigao del Sur during two-day service festival held in Bislig City on Friday and Saturday.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, one of the major proponents of the BPSF, represented President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the opening ceremonies held last June 21 at the De La Salle John Bosco College – Open Field, where over 10 agencies conducted the ceremonial turnover of over 14 programs.
“We are happy that we are able to interact with the Surigaonons in our BPSF in Surigao del Sur to remind them and make them feel that the government of President Bongbong Marcos is approaching them to provide services, implement various programs, and bring help to those in need,” the Speaker said in Filipino.
“This is our answer to the call of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to bring the government closer to the people. Now, it is the government that approaches the people and serves to the best of our ability,” Romualdez said.
“The President loves Mindanao, and the continuance of the BPSF in the provinces here is a testament that our brothers in Mindanao would not be left out in the government’s programs and services,” he added.
At least 77 lawmakers attended the service caravan in Bislig City to show support for the BPSF.
House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada Jr., one of the leaders of the BPSF national secretariat, said the BPSF leg in Surigao del Sur was the 20th instalment of the service caravan across the country, adding that “it is the second in the CARAGA Region after Agusan del Norte, and the 9th in the whole of Mindanao with Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Davao de Oro and Tawi-Tawi.”
“This brings the BPSF in Mindanao to almost half of all the service caravans held throughout the country,” Gabonada said.
The BPSF in Surigao del Sur had Rep. Johnny Pimentel and Gov. Alexander Pimentel as local hosts. At least 70 members of the House of Representatives were present during the two-day event.
With 46 participating national government agencies, over 217 services were offered to 90,000 beneficiaries in Surigao del Norte, involving a total of P600 million worth of programs and services, P244 million of which were in the form of cash assistance.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development will conduct continuous cash assistance payouts across the province of Surigao del Sur, which reached a total of 64,000 AICS beneficiaries amounting to P216 million.
Other province-wide activities included various scholarship programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education, as well as livelihood assistance for various sectors of pre-identified eligible clients across the province of Surigao del Sur.
Speaker Romualdez led the distribution of 95,000 kilos of rice to qualified beneficiaries in the province.