MANILA, Philippines — The biggest-ever Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) will be held in Tacloban on Friday, with P1.2 billion worth of aid expected to be turned over to Eastern Visayas according to House of Representatives officials.
Aside from the P1.2 billion assistance, House Deputy Secretary General and BPSF National Secretariat head Sofonias Gabonada Jr. and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said on Wednesday that 241 House lawmakers will be present at the fair.
“Nandito ang mga congressman, 241 House members who will be visiting tomorrow to witness the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair at gusto nilang makita na ‘yung inilaan nilang pondo sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno at mga program nito ay naparating talaga sa mga tao,” he said.
(Lawmakers are here, 241 House members who will be visiting tomorrow to witness the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair and they want to see how much of the funds they allocated to agencies of the government really reaches the people.)
Acidre meanwhile said that House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have been consistent about their goal of bringing programs closer to the people.
“Consistent po ang ating Speaker at ang ating Presidente Marcos na ilapit ang serbisyo sa taong bayan. So let’s take advantage of it,” he added.
(Our Speaker and President Marcos are consistent about trying to bring services closer to the people. So let’s take advantage of it.)
According to Gabonada, this BPSF will be the 21st after three successive tours in Mindanao. Previously, the biggest BPSF in terms of aid given and lawmaker attendance was in Tagum where P913 million worth of aid was distributed.
Over 167 lawmakers also attended the event, including the Speaker himself and former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
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For this edition of the BPSF, Eastern Visayas will get P1.2 billion including P800 million in aid in the form of cash grants.
Gabonada said this is the first region-wide BPSF, as other mini fairs will be held simultaneously in other Eastern Visayas provinces.
With the regional approach, the BPSF can attain its goal of visiting all 82 provinces of the country faster.
“If successful, we would replicate it [in other areas of the country],” Gabonada said.
Both officials however noted that the quality of the services in the BSPF would not change despite the fair having a wider approach. Acidre also assured the public that the House’s tackling of the P6.352 trillion proposed budget for 2025 will not affect the BPSF.
According to Acidre, doing tours to the grassroots during a budget season may even be better since lawmakers would get a chance to assess which items in the National Expenditures Program would need priority.
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“With the momentum established by President Marcos and Speaker Romualdez, talagang kailangan doble kayod kami. Siguro kung ganyan kasipag ang Speaker, we (lawmakers) can do nothing less,” Acidre said.
(With the momentum established by President Marcos and Speaker Romualdez, we really need to work double-time. If your Speaker is that hard-working, we lawmakers can do nothing less.)