By Jose Cielito Reganit
MANILA – The Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is rolling out PHP500 million in cash aid, livelihood packages, scholarships, and several other government programs to about 80,000 people in the province of Zambales on Saturday and Sunday.
House of Representatives Speaker Martin G. Romualdez, who represented the President during the event, said the Marcos administration is committed to the unhampered delivery of public services to the people through the two-day BPSF event at the People’s Plaza in Botolan, Zambales.
“Ipapaabot natin ang pagmamahal ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa mga Zambaleños sa pamamagitan ng Serbisyo Caravan na ito. Dadalhin namin ang serbisyo ng pamahalaan sa inyo, tulad ng pangako ng ating mahal na Pangulo (We will bring the love of President Marcos to the Zambaleños through this Service Caravan. We will bring the government services to you, as our beloved president has promised),” Romualdez said in his keynote speech.
“When we started the Serbisyo Fair last year, we never imagined that it would be a resounding success like what we’ve seen in the provinces we’ve visited. Kaya patuloy natin itong gagawin sa mga susunod na buwan dahil nakikita natin ang direktang benepisyo nito sa mga mamamayan (That’s why we will continue the program in the coming months because we see its direct benefits to the people).”
The Zambales BPSF is the 10th installment of the Serbisyo Caravan, aimed at covering all 82 provinces nationwide, and the first one in Central Luzon.
With 46 participating national government agencies, more than 170 services are being offered to an estimated 80,000 beneficiaries during the two-day festival of services.
A total of PHP500 million worth of programs and services have been brought to the province, including PHP154 million in cash assistance.
Among the services being offered is a province-wide payout of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in all 13 municipalities, which is expected to provide 26,000 beneficiaries with PHP52 million in cash aid.
Other province-wide activities are various scholarship programs of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and livelihood assistance for various sectors in pre-identified eligible clients across Zambales under the programs of the Department of Labor and Employment.
On the first night of the Serbisyo Fair, a Pasasalamat Concert will also be held at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba, Zambales with free admission.
The Pasasalamat Concert on Saturday night is expected to draw at least 35,000 people. (PNA)
