DOF Secretary Ralph Recto (left), Speaker Martin Romualdez (Facebook)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez is President Marcos' cousin, partner, and "secret weapon". 

Batangas native Ralph Recto, the current Department of Finance (DOF) secretary, gave this glowing description of Romualdez as he introduced him to a crowd in Lipa City in the province Saturday, Aug. 24. 

It was first day of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), the all-encompassing service caravan of the Marcos administration. 

"Nandito naman ang liderato ng Kongreso, ang partner ng Pangulo, first cousin ng Pangulo, taga-isip ng programang tulad nito, siya ang dahilan kung bakit tayo merong [BPSF]," said Recto, who was Batangas representative in the 19th Congress before he was appointed finance chief by President Marcos. 

(There leader of Congress is here, the President's partner, the President's first cousin, the innovator of programs like this, and the reason why we have the BPSF.) 

"Kailan ba kayo nakakita ng Speaker na bumisita sa lalawigan ng Batangas, di ho ba? Nagbigay ng panahon. Ang taong ito, sabi ko nga kanina, haligi ng BBM (Bongbong Marcos) administration. Secret weapon ng ating Pangulo," Recto told his fellow Batangueños. 

(When have you seen a Speaker visit the province of Batangas? He gave us his time. This man, like I said earlier, is a pillar of the BBM administration. The President's secret weapon.) 

"Kaya kung maganda ang takbo ng BBM administration, ay yan ay dahil din sa taong ipakikilala ko sa inyo," added the former senator-turned-top economic manager. 

(So if the BBM administration is being run well, is it because of the person that I will introduce to you.) 

On Saturday, the BPSF rolled out a total of P563 million worth of government services and financial aid to over 60,000 Batangueños. The service caravan remained in the province until Sunday, Aug. 25. 

Romualdez, Leyte's 1st district representative, is the leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives.  

Not a political rally 

Although the BPSF had the feel and flavor of a political rally, Recto said in a separate speech Saturday that this wasn't the case. 

"Ang pagtitipon pong ito ay hindi rally, kundi serbisyo. Hindi pamumulitika, kundi paglilingkod. Ang hatid ay hindi ang paghahati-hati sa mga paksyon-paksyon o buklod-buklod, kundi ang pagsasama sa layuning makatulong. Hindi hidwaan, kundi ginhawa," Recto underscored. 

(This gathering is not a rally, but a way render services. It's not about politics, but about service. We offer not divisiveness by factions and groupings, but unity for the purpose of assistance. It's not about conflict, but about relief.) 

"Kita niyo naman, sangkaterbang serbisyo ang narito ngayon. Lahat yata ng ahensya na nakasulat sa government directory nandidito na present lahat dine," he noted. 

(As you can see, there are a bunch of services being offered. I think every agency listed on the government directory are here.) 

The BPSF-Batangas is the 22nd iteration of the service caravan, which aims to reach all 82 provinces nationwide.

9,000 get rice, cash aid 

The BPSF is known to have side events that give more targeted assistance to local residents. The Batangas leg was no exception, as 9,000 people from vulnerable sectors received rice and cash assistance. 

Romualdez led the distribution ceremonies Saturday for the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, the Integrated Scholarships and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP) Program and the Start-Up, Investments, Business Opportunities and Livelihood (SIBOL) Program. 

For the CARD program, a total of 3,000 beneficiaries in Batangas received P5,000 each through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), plus 20 kilograms of rice in a simple ceremony held at the Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center on Aug. 24. 

The Speaker said the CARD was formulated to support vulnerable Filipinos by providing them with affordable access to rice and essential cash assistance. The program not only intends to boost the purchasing power of the public, but also serves as a strategic measure against hoarding and price manipulation of rice stocks. 

As for the ISIP Program, a total of 3,000 students received P5,000 under the DSWD’s AKAP, including five kilograms of rice in a distribution held at the Lipa Academy of Sports, Culture and Arts (LASCA). 

Beneficiaries will receive P5,000 from the program every six months to cover tuition and other expenses. Identified student-beneficiaries will be enrolled under Commission on Higher and Technical Education’s (CHEd) Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) where students can get scholarship assistance per year amounting to a total of P15,000. 

SIBOL, meanwhile, offers opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate and contribute to the country’s economic growth, and aims to support MSMEs and start-up businesses through a convergence of government initiatives and private sector efforts and substantial capital infusion. 

A total of 3,000 small Filipino entrepreneurs received P5,000 each and five kilograms of rice in a distribution held at the Claro M. Recto Events Center.