Residents of Batangas received substantial benefits from the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), the nation’s largest service and convergence event, which was held in Lipa City this weekend.
The BPSF delivered PHP563 million in government services and financial aid to over 60,000 Batangas residents. This event featured more than 200 services from 50 participating agencies. Of the PHP563 million, PHP265 million was allocated for cash assistance programs.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) distributed funds to 34,000 beneficiaries throughout the province.
This event represents the 22nd edition of the BPSF, which aims to reach all 82 provinces in the Philippines. Since its launch, the BPSF has provided over PHP10 billion in aid to 2.5 million families across 21 events within a year.
During the opening ceremony at Aboitiz Pitch-Lima Park, House Speaker Martin Romualdez noted that the BPSF’s revival highlights President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s increased focus on the service caravan, which has inspired the organizers.
Romualdez also underscored the importance of establishing service and assistance centers in every province to ensure direct access to government services. This initiative supports President Marcos’s commitment to providing government services directly to the people and fostering inclusive nation-building.
Additionally, Romualdez led the distribution of rice and cash aid to 9,000 beneficiaries through three programs aimed at supporting vulnerable sectors not covered by existing government social amelioration programs.
The programs included the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD), Integrated Scholarships and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP), and Start-Up, Investments, Business Opportunities and Livelihood (SIBOL).
Under the CARD program, 3,000 beneficiaries at the Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center received PHP5,000 each and 20 kilograms of rice through the DSWD’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP).
The ISIP program provided 3,000 students at Lipa Academy of Sports, Culture and Arts with PHP5,000 each and 5 kilograms of rice, also through the DSWD-AKAP. These students will receive PHP5,000 every six months to help with tuition and other expenses. They will also be enrolled in the Commission on Higher Education’s Tulong Dunong Program, which offers an annual scholarship of PHP15,000, and will have priority slots in the Government Internship Program after graduation. Additionally, their unemployed parents or guardians may be eligible for the DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers short-term employment program.
The SIBOL program, meanwhile, supports entrepreneurs and small businesses through a combination of government and private sector efforts, providing significant capital. At the Claro M. Recto Events Center, 3,000 small-scale entrepreneurs received PHP5,000 each and 5 kilograms of rice.
