SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, his colleagues, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Sunday launched a groundbreaking program to distribute financial and rice assistance to poor and vulnerable Filipino families through legislative districts in Metro Manila and two cities in Laguna.
This is in response to the challenge of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. for Speaker Romualdez to create a program that will give rice aid to the poor.
Dubbed as the Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, the project is being undertaken in collaboration with the bigger legislative chamber under Speaker Romualdez and the DSWD led by Sec. Rex Gatchalian.
“Makasaysayan po ang araw na ito, hindi lamang dito sa Laguna kundi maging sa buong Metro Manila. Ngayong umaga, pormal nating sisimulan ang pinakabagong programa ng ating pamahalaan — ang Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution o CARD program,” Speaker Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives, said during the introduction of the program in Biñan City, Laguna that coincided with the launching of
President Marcos’ Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Laguna following its successful launch in Biliran, Davao de Oro, Leyte, Camarines Sur, and Ilocos Norte.
“Nabuo ang programang ito bilang sagot sa hamon ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. sa Kongreso na tumulong kung paano mabibigyan ng mura at magandang klase ng bigas ang ating mga komunidad,” he added.
The CARD Program was launched in Metro Manila’s 33 legislative districts with each having 10,000 poor and vulnerable beneficiaries for a total of 330,000 recipients, the distribution of which will be divided into four payouts.
Alongside the launch in NCR is the distribution in Biñan City (3,000 beneficiaries) and Sta. Rosa City (2,000 beneficiaries), for a total of 335,000 beneficiaries for the launch.
The amount of assistance for each beneficiary – which will also include senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents and IPs – totals at least P2,000: P950 for the 25-kilogram sack of rice at P38 per kilo and the remaining in cash to buy other food essentials.
The DSWD is tasked to identify the beneficiaries and may increase the amount of assistance in some some areas depending on its evaluation of the prevailing circumstances.
“Alam natin na buong mundo ang nahihirapan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin dahil sa global inflation na dala ng mga digmaan sa Middle East. Dahil dito, hindi ganun kadali para sa pamahalaan na mapapababa ang presyo ng bigas dito sa atin sa Pilipinas,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Gayunpaman sinikap nating humanap ng paraan kung paano makakatulong para mapagaan ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan sa harap ng pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas at iba pang bilihin. Target po natin na mabigyan ang 10,000 benepisyaryo sa bawat distrito,” he continued.
Speaker Romualdez said that like President Marcos’ BPSF – a program that brings directly to the people over a hundred government services – that will be implemented nationwide, the CARD program will also go beyond Metro Manila to include the rest of the 250 congressional districts in the Philippines.
At 10,000 beneficiaries per district, the total recipients will be 2.5 million indigent and vulnerable Filipinos.
“Layunin po natin na palawakin ang programang ito hindi lamang sa buong Luzon kundi sa lahat ng panig ng bansa. Uunahin lamang natin ang mga siyudad maging sa Visayas at Mindanao kung saan mayroong kakulangan sa suplay ng mura at de-kalidad na bigas,” Romualdez explained.
“Simula pa lamang ito ng patuloy na pagbibigay natin ng ginhawa sa ating mga mamayan. Asahan ninyo na laging katuwang ninyo at ng ating Pangulong Marcos ang Office of the Speaker at ang buong kasapian ng House of Representatives para masigurong may sapat na pondo ang lahat ng programang laan para sa ordinaryong PIlipino,” he said.
He further noted that the program was conceived in light of escalating rice prices and the subsequent challenges faced by Filipino consumers, empowering them to gain access to rice at better prices and augment their buying capacity.
