TAGUM City, Davao Del Norte – About 80,000 residents of Davao del Norte province will benefit from the cash, rice, education and livelihood assistance under the programs of the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. that seek to help vulnerable segments of the country.

Coinciding with the two-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) on Friday until Saturday in Davao del Norte were the launch of the Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, the Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL) Program, Integrated Scholarship and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP for the Youth) Program and the Farmers Assistance for Recovery and Modernization (FARM) Program in the province.

About 19,000 residents received aid, and 14,000 more will receive assistance this Saturday in the Island Garden City of Samal. Additionally, 47,000 beneficiaries are scheduled to receive the government’s help in the coming week.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, the main proponent of these four programs in response to President Marcos’ challenge to provide instant assistance to the people, said these have been a staple in all of the Service Caravan, which has visited a total of 19 provinces and cities since it started last year.

“Sa lahat po ng programang ito ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., iba’t-ibang sektor ang ating tinatarget, dahil halos lahat ng pamilyang Pilipino sa ngayon ay kailangan ng konting tulong sa pang-araw-araw na gastusin. Kaya saan man may BPSF, mayroon din ang mga programang ito,” Romualdez said.

“Ramdam po ng ating pamahalaan ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga mamamayan, kaya patuloy tayong nag-iisip ng paraan kung paano tayo makakatulong sa ating mga kababayan. Nawa’y madagdagan pa ang programa ng pamahalaan na tutulong pa sa ibang sektor ng ating lipunan,” he added.

House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias “Ponyong” P. Gabonada Jr., one of the leaders of the BPSF National Secretariat, said “the CARD is a revolutionary program that is an initiative of Speaker Romualdez to aid those in vulnerable sectors such as the poor, indigent senior citizens, PWDs, single parents, indigenous peoples and others.”

Gabonada said a total of 3,000 beneficiaries in Davao del Norte each received P3,000 through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program, along with free 10 kilograms of rice, in a simple ceremony undertaken in the Tagum City Hall Atrium Friday

He said the SIBOL Program, also an initiative of Speaker Romualdez, aims to encourage start-up businesses and serves as a dual solution for poverty alleviation and support during crises, providing individuals with sustainable opportunities that contribute to economic empowerment and resilience in challenging times.

Upon the instruction of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., Speaker Romualdez led the SIBOL program on Friday morning.

Gabonada said a total of 3,000 beneficiaries received P5,000 and 5 kilograms of rice each, also through the DSWD’s AICS Program, in a simple ceremony held at the Tagum City Trade and Cultural Center,.

Also an initiative of Speaker Romualdez, Gabonada said the ISIP for the Youth Program helps deserving students in the tertiary, technical and vocational levels cope with mounting educational expenses.

A total of 10,000 beneficiaries in Davao del Norte received a total of P2,000 every six months and 5 kilograms of rice each to cover tuition and other expenses in a simple ceremony at the RDR Gym, Davao Del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex Friday, Gabonada said.

Aside from the financial and rice assistance, Gabonada said the identified student beneficiaries will be enrolled under CHED’s Tulong Dunong Program (TDP) where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to a total of 15,000 pesos.

He said they will also get priority slots under the Government Internship Program (GIP) for employment after graduation, and their unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the DOLE-TUPAD Program.

For the FARM Program, Gabonada said it is a collaboration among the National Food Authority (NFA), Department of Agriculture (DA), and DSWD to help small-time farmers who are facing financial challenges. The program also aims to address the predicament of the NFA in accomplishing its mandate to increase the buffer stock used during emergencies.

A total of 3,000 farmers in Davao del Norte received P2,000 each as financial assistance in a ceremony held at the Carmen Municipal Gym, Davao Del Norte Friday, Gabonada said.

The beneficiaries in this program are encouraged to sell at least 100 kilos of rice to the NFA, Gabonada said.