Speaker Martin Romualdez, along with Senator Bong Revilla and other government officials, hand out assistance to Eastern Visayas beneficiaries during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in Tacloban City. (Photo from the Office of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez)
MANILA, Philippines — The biggest-ever Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), which was held in Tacloban, was attended by 241 lawmakers in what seemed to be a show of force and an affirmation of the House of Representatives officials’ leadership.
During the BPSF on Friday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez thanked his fellow lawmakers for being present, and for helping Tacloban, Leyte, and the entire Eastern Visayas when it was hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in November 2013.
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“Sa totoo lang po, napaka-historic po itong araw na ito, dahil ngayon lang yata nagkataon na higit 240 Kongresista ay nasa isang lugar na hindi sa Batasang Pambansa,” Romualdez said.
(Honestly, this is a historic day, because it is only now that we had over 240 lawmakers in an area that is not the Batasang Pambansa complex.)
“Pero sa totoo lang po ito rin ay pagkakataon ng Tacloban, ng lalawigan ng Leyte, at ang rehiyon, lahat po tayo dito, hihingin ko na itong […] magsitayo tayo at palakpakan natin ang mga Kongresista […] hindi natin nakalimutan ang ginawa nila no’ng Yolanda,” he added.
(But honestly, this is a chance for Tacloban, for Leyte, and the entire region — for all of us here to thank, let us stand and applaud our lawmakers […] we have not forgotten how you helped us when Yolanda struck.)
According to Romualdez, this is also a chance for lawmakers to see what is happening on the ground, which will be key during the budget season.
“Kaya po nandito kami, umiikot kami kasi ito ang isang bahagi ng Bagong Pilipinas ng ating mahal na Pangulo (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.), ito ang bagong kongreso, ito ang 19th Congress, ito ang pinaka-masipag, pinaka-maganda, pinaka-masigla, nakikita mo hindi lang guapa, guapo, pero masipag talaga at magagaling talaga kaya wala talaga silang inisip kung (hindi) ‘yong kaligayahan ninyo, kabutihan,” he claimed.
(The reason why we are here is because this is a part of the Bagong Pilipinas that our beloved president aspires, this is the new Congress, the 19th Congress which is the most hard-working, vibrant, they are not only handsome and beautiful faces, but they really work hard and well for your betterment.)
“Sa totoo lang po, tuwing punta niyo sa mga serbisyo fair nagugulat talaga ako kasi ngayon ko lang po nakikita sa kadami-dami ninyo, mas que mainit nakaupo kayo, pinagtiya-tiyagaan ninyo ako dito sa stage, busy sa Kongreso […] busy sa opisina pero dito talaga napaka-ayos talaga at pinapakita niyo talaga sa taumbayan na nagkakaisa tayo sa Kongreso para po sa kanila,” he added.
“‘Yon po ang gusto nating makita, kung popondohan pa rin natin, kung itutuloy po natin, at kung ‘yon po ang gusto ng mga tiga-Tacloban, ng lalawigan ng Leyte at ng rehiyon at ng buong Pilipinas, itutuloy natin dahil napakaganda so far ng nakita natin,” he added.
(That’s what we want to see, to determine if we will still fund and continue to support the BPSF — if that’s what the people want, from Tacloban, to the province of Leyte, and the entire country, we will continue because we have seen good things from it.)
Key members of the House leadership were present, including Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez, Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, and House committee on appropriations chair and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla was also present during the event, along with Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, 12 governors, three vice governors, nine mayors, and 16 other officials from the Executive Department.
Romualdez said earlier that around 253,000 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas have received assistance — in the form of cash aid and livelihood equipment — during the BPSF. The aid and equipment given to beneficiaries totaled to P1.26 billion.
Aside from being the biggest — in terms of attendance and aid provided — the Tacloban BPSF marks the first time that the fair morphed from holding fairs at one province at a time, to holding simultaneous programs within the region.
On Thursday, House Deputy Secretary General and BPSF National Secretariat head Sofonias Gabonada Jr. said that other mini fairs will be held simultaneously in other Eastern Visayas provinces.
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“So this really is a BPSF for Eastern Visayas. Para na rin itong Thanksgiving celebrations natin kasi naka-isang taon tayong naghahatid ng direktang serbisyo at ayuda para sa ating mga kababayan sa malalayong lugar. Tunay na pinagpala ng Diyos ang ating BPSF dahil sa tagumpay nito,” Romualdez said.
(So this really is a BPSF for Eastern Visayas. This is like a thanksgiving celebration because we have been delivering aid and services directly to the people in far-flung areas for one year already. We really thank God for blessing the BPSF because of this victory.)
The BPSF in Tacloban 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 City, where P913 million worth of aid was given.
Over 167 lawmakers also attended the event in Tagum, including the Speaker himself and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.