THE biggest ever Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. took place in Sultan Kudarat on Sunday, demonstrating the Chief Executive’s steadfast dedication to delivering direct service to an estimated 150,000 Mindanaons with a total of P1.2 billion in government aid in the form of cash and other forms of assistance.
Following President Marcos’s directive, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, a key advocate of the BPSF, delivered the keynote address at the opening of the BPSF, which will run until Monday at the Provincial Capitol Compound in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Special Assistant to the President, Secretary Antonio Lagdameo, Jr. also graced the event.
“Ngayong araw po, inilulunsad po natin ang Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair ng Pangulong Marcos dito sa lalawigan ng Sultan Kudarat sa Mindanao. Ito po ay hindi lamang katuparan ng pangako ng pagkakaisa, kundi isa pang dagdag-patunay na malapit ang Mindanao sa puso at isipan ng inyong mga pinuno,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Sa loob ng Bagong Pilipinas ng ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, wala pong maiiwan – lahat kasama sa pag-unlad,” the leader of the 300-plus-strong House of Representatives added.
Sultan Kudarat Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu and Rep. Princess Rihan M. Sakaluran both served as the local hosts of the event, organized by the BPSF National Secretariat.
“The Serbisyo Caravan in Sultan Kudarat is the second one this month alone. So nakikita natin na talagang pinapaigting ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ang paghahatid ng serbisyo diretso sa mamamayan. This is the President’s vision, and we are all here to implement it,” Speaker Romualdez said, referring to BPSF in Siquijor recently.
“Why is it the largest? For starters, nearly 50 members of the House of Representatives, mostly from across various districts in Mindanao, attended to support the event. In a way, this is a show of solidarity between Mindanao lawmakers and the national government for a united Philippines,” he added.
In his message , Gov. Mangudadatu thanked President Marcos and Speaker Romualdez for bringing the service caravan in Sultan Kudarat as he also bucked proposals for secession of Mindanao from the entire Philipines.
“Sabi natin hindi pwede mahiwalay ang Mindanao sa Pilipinas. We must stand as one united Philippines. As we have seen through many years, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao have worked together,” he stressed, adding that this unity will unleash the true potential of the Filipino people.
Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales, Jr., Deputy Speaker David “Jayjay” Suarez, Tingog Partylist Rep. Jude Acidre and 4Ps Partylist Rep. JC Abalos were also present to support the Sultan Kudarat BPSF.
Some of the Mindanao lawmakers who attended the BPSF in Sultan Kudarat include: Reps. Migz Nograles, Christian Unabia, Bambi Emano, Lordan Suan, Toto Suansing, Yasser Balindong, Divina Yu, John Flores, Khymer Olaso, Aldu Dujali, Joboy Aquino, Wilter Palma;
Sam Santos, Peter Miguel, Ed Lumayag, Alan Ecleo, Mannix Dalipe, Maricar Zamora, Bingo Matugas, Steve Solon, Glona Labadlabad, Pinpin Uy, Victoria Yu, Nelson Dayanghirang, Munir Arbison, Antonieta Eudela, Loreto Acharon, Alfelito Bascug, Mohamad Paglas, and Jason Almonte.
The Sultan Kudarat leg of the BPSF is the 12th Serbisyo Fair to be held since it was launched last year and participated by 55 government agencies that rolled out over 329 government programs, projects and services worth a whopping P1.2 billion during the two-day event.
It is also the first serbisyo caravan in Region 12 or SOCCSKSARGEN, and is expected to benefit 150,000 beneficiaries in the province.
A total of P200 million worth of cash assistance was be given to Sultan Kudarat beneficiaries in 12 LGU payouts under the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE)Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
AICS beneficiaries are expected to reach 75,000, who will receive cash aid under the program worth P150 million in province-wide payouts in the succeeding days after the BPSF.
Speaker Romualdez distributed 30,000 sacks of 10-kilogram rice for free to selected beneficiaries of the BPSF, for a total of 300,000 kilograms of rice aid to the people of Sultan Kudarat.
Among the other major social services offered by the BPSF include:
• TESDA scholarships and program enrollment
. Educational assistance
• LTO driver’s license renewal
• DFA passport application
• NBI clearance application
• Police clearance application
• PSA birth certificate application
• Pag-ibig membership and housing loan
• SSS membership application
• GSIS UMID application
• PhilHealth registration.
On the first day of the BPSF, a Pagkakaisa Concert is scheduled to be held at the Provincial Capitol Grounds with free admission, which is expected to draw a crowd of over 100,000 people.
