HOUSE leaders said that the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., which has brought government services and aid closer to the people, is living proof that the social protection and amelioration funds allocated in the national budget are being used appropriately.

Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David “Jayjay” Suarez; House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and House Assistant Majority Leader and Manila Rep. Ernesto “Ernix” Dionisio all agreed that the BPSF – is a resounding success and should be continued or even institutionalized.

President Marcos and Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez arethe primary proponents and movers of BPSF.

“Nasasaksihan po namin ‘yung implementasyon ng pondong inaprubahan namin noong nakaraang taon. We’re talking about hundreds of millions being downloaded directly to individuals,” Suarez said during the daily press briefing at the House of Representatives.

“Come the budget hearings, we can actually say yes, the budget and the funds were used properly and effectively, and the BPSF was one proper conduit that the funds benefitted the less fortunate na mga kababayan natin,” he added.

The BPSF has been conducted in 20 provinces and cities all over the country and have released billions of funds for government services and social protection during the past several months, including areas in Mindanao such as Surigao del Sur, Zamboanga City, Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Davao de Oro and Tawi-Tawi.

For Barbers, the BPSF is a revolutionary government program that releases aid directly to the grassroots of Philippine society.

Dionisio, for his part, said that the BPSF is “a window to see the plight of our countrymen.”

“Yun bang pag pumupunta ka kasi sa kalsada, you’re going down to the grassroots level sa ground. Nakikita natin kung ano talaga ‘yung sitwasyon, pagbaba ng BPSF, makikita natin yung talagang needs ng mga tao,” Dionisio said.

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Jester P. Manalastas