House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Speaker’s office)

The Marcos administration’s all-encompassing service caravan--the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF)--has helped mitigate poverty and hunger among Filipinos, says House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

This, as Romualdez hailed on Tuesday, April 23 the recent findings of OCTA Research that indicated a decrease of 3 percentage points in both the number of families who consider themselves poor and their self-rated hunger. 

“It is heartening to see that the number of families considering themselves poor has dropped to 42 percent, down from 45 percent in the previous quarter. Similarly, self-rated hunger has decreased to 11 percent from 14 percent in the same period,” said Romualdez, the leader of the 300-plus-member House of Representatives. 

“These figures represent a decline of approximately 800,000 families in both categories, a clear indication that our economic measures are effectively reaching and improving the lives of our people,” he noted. 

Speaker Romualdez attributes the sharp decline to President Marcos Jr.’s economic programs and his administration’s anti-poverty efforts, which he said the House of Representatives strongly supports. 

Among these is the BPSF, which is slowly but surely making its way to all 82 provinces in the country. Benguet province just hosted the 15th installment of the program from April 21 to 22. 

“The BPSF has already rolled out billions of pesos of government aid and services to 15 provinces. We are so pleased to see that this program has an impact on the lives of Filipino families. May we see the further decline of self-rated poverty and hunger in the future,” the lawmaker from Leyte said. 

Romualdez said the BPSF is realizing President Marcos Jr.’s desire to bring government services closer to the people. These including food, financial, and livelihood assistance, he said. 

READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/21/another-show-of-force-for-admin-63-house-members-attend-benguet-bagong-pilipinas-serbisyo-fair 

Also making a difference in the lives of poor Filipinos is Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) program, which is usually carried out alongside the BPSF. 

And then there are the government’s usual "ayuda"-centric programs like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, and the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD), which all help move the needle in terms of poverty alleviation. 

The Speaker also highlighted the efforts of the House of Representatives, in collaboration with national government agencies, to complement the President’s programs such as the Start-up, Investment, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL), and the Farmers Assistance for Recovery and Modernization (FARM). 

“This positive trajectory in reducing poverty and hunger underscores the impact of our targeted policies aimed at enhancing economic stability and providing necessary support to the most vulnerable sectors," Romualdez said.