(Second from left) House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the rice distribution in Cagayan de Oro City (Speaker's Office)

Coinciding with the launch of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Cagayan de Oro City, House Speaker Martin Romualdez has showed once again that he lives up to his “Mr. Rice” moniker.

On Thursday, May 16, some 3,000 beneficiaries received P1,000 worth of 25-kilo premium rice and P2,000 worth of cash assistance under the Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) program.

“Isa po ito sa programa ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. para labanan ang gutom at magbigay ng tulong sa pang-araw-araw na gastusin ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na yung bahagi ng ating mga vulnerable sectors,” Romualdez said in a speech.

(This is one of the programs of our dear President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to fight hunger and provide assistance for the daily expenses of our countrymen, especially to our vulnerable sectors.)

The recipients from Cagayan de Oro City came from marginalized groups that included the poor, senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), single parents, and indigenous peoples (IPs).

A brainchild of Romualdez himself, the CARD program aims to provide affordable access to rice and essential cash assistance to vulnerable Filipinos amid increasing rice prices.

“Isinasabay natin ito sa Serbisyo Fair para lahat ng malalaking siyudad tulad ng CDO at mga lalawigan ay kasama sa tulong pinansyal at rice aid. Nawa’y makatulong ito sa pagharap ng ating mamamayan sa hamon ng mataas na presyo ng bigas at pagkain,” the House leader said.

(We integrated this with the Serbisyo Fair so that large cities such as CDO and provinces are included in financial assistance and rice aid. May this help our people face the challenge of high prices of rice and food.)

In the BPSF, a total of P286 million in government programs as well as cash, scholarship, and livelihood assistance were granted to around 30,000 beneficiaries.

With 38 participating national government agencies, 213 services were offered during the two-day service caravan.

Among the services offered was the city-wide offsite payout across all barangays in Cagayan de Oro City by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Over 26,000 individual Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) beneficiaries received payouts amounting to P168 million.

Also launched alongside the BPSF were the Romualdez-led programs of Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL) and the Integrated Scholarship and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP for the Youth).

Under the SIBOL program, 3,000 beneficiaries consisting of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) business owners received P5,000 each.

Meanwhile, in ISIP for the Youth, a total of 2,000 students will receive P2,000 each in financial assistance every six months through the DSWD AICS to cover tuition and other expenses.

Identified student beneficiaries will also be enrolled under the Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to a total of P15,000.

The BPSF in Cagayan de Oro City marked the sixth time a province in Mindanao was visited by the all-encompassing service caravan. 

A total of 53 members of the House of Representatives attended the festivities.

In the following weeks, Tawi-Tawi and Davao del Norte will be visited by the BPSF.