Marcos to Pinoys: Avail of services at Bagong Pilipinas event

MANILA, Philippines — The public may avail of various government services for free, including application for police clearance for first-time jobseekers, at the kick-off rally today of “Bagong Pilipinas” in Manila.

President Marcos will lead the program’s launch at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park. He is set to fly to Hanoi, Vietnam tomorrow for a two-day state visit.

In a post yesterday on its official Facebook page, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said rally participants are encouraged to register with www.bagongpilipinastayo.com to avail of services offered in the Serbisyo Fair.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will provide civil registration services, including Philippine Identification System registration and ePhilID issuance.

The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation would be offering clearance issuance services to first-time jobseekers.

Other services to be offered by the PNP are drug test, neuropsychiatric test, notary and gun safety seminar as well as the issuance of the License to Own and Possess Firearm, according to a statement from the PCO.

The Government Service Insurance System will offer eCard enrollment, verification of record, loan application and housing programs, while the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. will provide registration and enrollment services along with its information dissemination and other benefits.

The Pag-Ibig Fund is also part of the caravan, providing membership registration services, multi-purpose loan application, claims application, housing loan program, modified Pag-Ibig 2 or MP2 special savings program, HEAL Program and inquiries on other benefits and programs.

The Social Security System will also offer assistance for online transactions, including claims inquiry as well as claims and record verification.

The Professional Regulatory Commission, meanwhile, will provide walk-in services for various exam applications, petition for change of status/correction, Continuing Professional Development and Continuing Professional Development Accreditation System, among others.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will release payouts for pre-identified beneficiaries of its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority earlier urged motorists to avoid the Rizal Park area and take alternate routes to avoid inconvenience.

PCO Undersecretary Gerald Baria said Bagong Pilipinas is more than just a branding but a testament to the Marcos administration’s commitment to improve services to the people.

“This is like a declaration of commitment of the Philippine bureaucracy, of the government, to level up government services to achieve the New Philippines,” he said at a news forum.

Marcos issued a memorandum in July last year, directing all government agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations and state universities and colleges, to adopt the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance and leadership campaign in their programs, activities and projects.

The Bagong Pilipinas logo was also launched last year.

Meanwhile, Speaker Martin Romualdez said P500 million worth of cash aid and services had been rolled out in Zambales province through the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Marcos.

Romualdez, one of the leading proponents of the service caravan, said on Friday that some 800,000 residents of Zambales stand to benefit from the program.

“We will make the Zambaleños feel the love of President Marcos through this Serbisyo Caravan. We will bring government services to you, just what the President has promised,” he said.

“The people should not come to the government, but rather the government should come together to reach out to the people and provide them with essentials,” he said. — Sheila Crisostomo, Ric Sapnu