HOUSE leaders on Monday urged lawmakers to join all the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fairs (BPSF) in the provinces for them to directly observe the actual implementation of the different programs of government agencies to assess if the funding provided by Congress are enough and well spent.
House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David “Jay-Jay” Suarez and Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe issued the call in a press briefing as more than 20 House members joined Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) caravan in Oriental Mindoro held at the Oriental Mindoro National High School Gymnasium last Saturday and Sunday.
“Natutuwa po kami na marami na naman pong mambabatas ang sumama kay Speaker Martin Romualdez, similar po doon sa pagbisita po namin sa Sultan Kudarat kung saan mahigit 50 kinatawan ang sumama, Dito po (sa Oriental Mindoro) ay hindi bababa sa 20 kinatawan mula po sa Regions 4A and 4B ang sumama sa ating Speaker,” Suarez said.
Suarez reported the success of the BPSF launch in Oriental Mindoro and how the local communities greatly benefitted from the assistance and services provided by the different government agencies.
“Doon po natin nasaksihan muli ang isang matagumpay na BPSF. Nakita po natin iyong tuwa at ligaya ng mahigit 50,000 na mga mamamayan mula sa probinsya na iyon na natulungan ng mga iba-ibang ahensya ng ating pamahalaan. Kung hindi po ako nagkakamali around P1.2 billion worth of assistance, programs, and projects were implemented by various agencies and departments of government. Just to name a few, 28,000 individuals benefited from the DSWD program of AICS, 9,000 individuals benefited from the program of the DOLE, at naka-focus po ito doon sa mga naapektuhan nuong oil spill sa Mindoro,” Suarez said.
In addition, he said P145-million worth of equipment were provided to help 52 farmer cooperatives for the Department of Agriculture, while 7,000 persons benefitted from the Integrated Scholarships and Incentives Program (ISIP) for the youth, an initiative of the Office of the Speaker in partnership with the Marcos administration.
“Mayroon din mga negosyo or start-up businesses na nakatanggap ng kapital mula sa SIBOL (Start-up Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood). At meron akong isang programang natunghayan na sana po maging modelo sa maraming mga probinsya. Ito po iyong FARM (Farmers Assistance for Recovery and Modernization) program kung saan nakapagbigay ang pamahalaan ng tulong sa ating mga magsasaka. At ginarantiya yung mga magsasaka na iyong palay na maaani nila ay bibilhin ng NFA. And I think that is such a liberating moment for our farmers dahil masisiguro na mabibili sa tamang presyo at hindi sa presyong babaratin sila ng kapitalista,” Suarez said.
Dalipe said lawmakers joining these service caravans are able to see in the provinces, in the different communities, the actual implementation of the programs and probably make more refinements that will benefit the Filipino people in the next fiscal year, the next budget which is the 2025 budget.
“We are even encouraging all other members of the House to join all these BPSF, kasi nandoon na po iyong, hindi lang isa, dalawa o tatlong departamento ang nanduon, marami pong national agencies and it is a very good chance for the House members to observe directly. Ito bang nilagay natin sa budget na programa for example DSWD, DOLE, DOH, DA o anumang departamento ha, ano ba iyong epekto niya?,” he said.
“So masayang-masaya po ako, iyong liderato ng Kamara under Speaker Martin Romualdez is there together with the Executive Department, with the President, and we, as the members of the House, we see first-hand kung ano-ano iyong mga departamento, ano-ano iyong mga ahensiya na puwede, ano-ano iyong mga programa ng mga ahensiya at departamento na puwede natin bigyan pa ng karagdagang pondo at ano-ano ang puwedeng i-fine tune at ayusin. Most especially that we will be going into such process, the preparation of the budget in the next few months,” Dalipe said.
