Speaker provides aid to 8,000 Benguet residents

MANILA, Philippines — Up to 8,000 residents in Benguet have received a total of P25 million in cash, educational and livelihood assistance from Speaker Martin Romualdez.

During the conduct of the two-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), which started yesterday, Romualdez led the distribution of rice and financial assistance under the cash and rice distribution (CARD) program, integrated scholarship and incentive program (ISIP) for the youth, and start-up, investment, business opportunity and livelihood (SIBOL) program.

“Since we started these initiatives with the help of various government agencies, more people from the vulnerable sector, including students and small entrepreneurs, have received assistance” Romualdez said.

“We want to continue doing this along  with conducting BPSF in provinces, so more people will benefit from the programs,” he added.

For the CARD program, a total of 75,000 kilos of rice were distributed to 3,000 beneficiaries including the poor, senior citizens, persons with disability, single parents and family breadwinners in Benguet.

During the distribution ceremony, Romualdez acknowledged the contributions of the people of Benguet, which produced 88 and 59 percent of the Cordilleras’  total vegetables and rice yield, respectively, last year.

Under the CARD program, 3,000 beneficiaries received 25 kilos each of rice and P2,000 cash assistance through the assistance to individuals in crisis (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Romualdez said.

Up to 2,000 ISIP beneficiaries will receive P2,000 in financial aid every six months through the DSWD’s AICS program. The amount will cover tuition and other school expenses.

For the SIBOL program, a total of P15 million worth of financial assistance were given to 3,000 beneficiaries in Benguet.

Romualdez said he believes in the Filipino entrepreneurial spirit and this is the reason why he is supporting this initiative.