FORMER Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has urged beneficiaries and supporters of the Sampung Libong Pag-asa program to continue calling on government to distribute P10,000 in cash assistance to every Filipino family.

“Ang gobyerno ay kailangan kalampagin, kasi kanya-kanyang pananaw ‘yan. Pero mapapatunayan namin sa kahit kanino na may pera at kaya itong ibigay,” Cayetano said during the program held in Batangas on June 18.

“Tulungan niyo rin kami. Pero kami matigas ulo namin. Kapag tingin namin tama kami ay tuloy-tuloy ito. Kaya lang, para lahat mabigyan, kailangan gobyerno talaga,” he added.

Cayetano and his allies visited the province of Batangas for the Sampung Libong Pag-asa program, distributing P10,000 in cash assistance to 625 beneficiaries from Batangas and other parts of the country.

This brings the total number of beneficiaries to 3,096 since the program started on May 1, 2021.

Of the 625 new beneficiaries, 525 came from the six legislative districts of the province who were pre-selected through the help of the local government of Batangas. The rest of the beneficiaries came from all over the country and were selected real time via Facebook.

Asked by host Andrei Felix why the amount being given is P10,000, Cayetano said it is sufficient to pay some debt, provide food for a family for one week, and start a small business.

“So hindi natin tinuturuan mag-negosyo, pero tinutulungan natin na mag-negosyo,” he answered.

“We continue to help, but we continue to remind ourselves that we can help some more,” he added.

Also featured during the program were beneficiaries from Batangas during the first installment of Sampung Libong Pag-asa, Merryson Hernandez and Reynaldo de Villa.

Hernandez, who comes from Bauan, Batangas, used to work as a salesperson before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She and her husband lost their jobs during the crisis, leaving them with no source of income.

When she received the P10,000 cash assistance from Cayetano and his group, she used it as capital to start a small business. She now earns around P200-500 a day.

“Sobra pong hirap. Gawa po ng aking trabaho po ay… nawalan din ng trabaho ako, tapos po lalo na po ‘yung aking asawa. Nawalan siya ng trabaho, parehas po kami nakatambay lang sa bahay,” she said.

“Ito pong P10,000 na nakuha namin at natanggap ko ay sobra pong laking tulong [ang] naibigay sa akin, gawa po na kami ay nakapagpa-negosyo,” Hernandez added.

De Villa, on the other hand, is a tricycle driver and vendor from Barangay Poblacion, San Luis, Batangas. He used the P10,000 cash assistance for the improvement of his tricycle and as capital for a small fishing business.

“Ginamit ko po sa tricycle po, pinagawa ko po at ‘yung konting puhunan din po eh pinaano ko po sa isda. Minsan po e natubo din po ko ng mga limang daan po,” he said.

“Wag tayong mawalan ng pag-asa na nandiyan ho ang may tumutulong sa atin. Laban po lang nang laban,” he added.

Alan Sari-Sari Story Community

Meanwhile, Cayetano said that on Wednesday, June 23, more beneficiaries will receive P10,000 cash assistance from the group as they are set to launch another project called the “Alan Sari-Sari Store Community.”

The Alan Sari-Sari Store Community is inspired by the TaPat Sari-Sari Store initiative of the local government of Taguig, which aims to empower small sari-sari store owners and entrepreneurs.

Cayetano was joined in the program by Taguig 2nd District Rep. Ma. Laarni “Lani” Cayetano, Batangas 2nd District Rep. Raneo “Ranie” Abu, Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Batangas 1st District Rep. Elenita Milagros “Eileen” Ermita-Buhain, Batangas 3rd District Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes, Agoncillo Mayor Dan Reyes, San Nicolas Mayor Lester de Sagun, Laurel Vice Mayor Rachelle Ogalinola, Batangas 4th District Rep. Lianda Bolilia, Batangas Batangas 5th District Rep. Mario Vittorio “Marvey” Mariño, Batangas City Vice Mayor Emilio Francisco Berberabe, Jr., Batangas 6th District Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto.