HOUSE leaders have said that the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., which has brought government services and aid closer to the people, is living proof that the social protection and amelioration funds allocated in the national budget are being used appropriately.
Deputy Speaker David “Jayjay” Suarez of Quezon, House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, and House Assistant Majority Leader Ernesto “Ernix” Dionisio of Manila all agreed that the BPSF – with President Marcos and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez as the primary proponents and movers – is a resounding success and should be continued or even institutionalized.
“Nasasaksihan po namin ‘yung implementasyon ng pondong inaprubahan namin noong nakaraang taon. We’re talking about hundreds of millions being downloaded directly to individuals,” Suarez said during the daily press briefing at the House of Representatives Wednesday.
“Come the budget hearings, we can actually say yes, the budget and the funds were used properly and effectively, and the BPSF was one proper conduit that the funds benefitted the less fortunate na mga kababayan natin,” he added.
The BPSF has been conducted in 20 provinces and cities all over the country and have released billions of funds for government services and social protection during the past several months, including areas in Mindanao such as Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Davao de Oro and Tawi-Tawi.
“Congratulations sa ating Pangulo Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos and, of course, kudos to our Speaker Martin Romualdez for their commitment to ensure the continuity of this program for the succeeding months and years to come,” Suarez expressed as the BPSF will hold its 21st event in Eastern Visayas this Friday.
For Barbers, the BPSF is a revolutionary government program that releases aid directly to the grassroots of Philippine society.
“Para sakin, isang patunay ito na ang BBM administration at syempre dito sa Mababang Kapulungan, under the leadership of our Speaker, has made the delivery of public service to the people hanggang sa baba. So, ito yung sinasabing ‘bringing the government closer to the people,’” said Barbers.
“Perhaps the government manifests this by bringing all these funds and services down to be grassroots level. First time ito nangyari sa ating bansa at ito ay napakagandang idea na ipinatupad ng ating Speaker at ng ating mahal na Presidente,” he added.
“Dahil nga nakita natin na kailangan maramdaman ng ating mga kababayan, lalong-lalo yung nasa laylayan ng lipunan kung tawagin, na merong gobyernong tumitingin sa kanila at nagmamahal sa kanila,”
Barbers said.
Dionisio, for his part, said that the BPSF is “a window to see the plight of our countrymen.”
“Yun bang pag pumupunta ka kasi sa kalsada, you’re going down to the grassroots level sa ground. Nakikita natin kung ano talaga ‘yung sitwasyon, pagbaba ng BPSF, makikita natin yung talagang needs ng mga tao,” Dionisio said.
“So, having said that, I really applaud ‘yung move ni Presidente Bongbong Marcos at Speaker Martin Romualdez for doing the BPSF na direktang nare-receive yung tulong ng bawat Pilipino, inaabot yung mga Pilipino,” Dionisio said.
“Kaya dito naman sa amin sa Congress, we will make sure that the funding of such programs mentioned by DS Jayjay Suarez will be protected, kung hindi mamaintain, madagdagan pa sana natin, to increase the number of beneficiaries of such programs,” Dionisio added.
