ABOUT 100,000 Ilonggos will be served by the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

From December 9 to 10, the Serbisyo Caravan putting together more than a hundred services of the Marcos administration under one roof has been providing services to nearly a hundred thousand Ilonggos at the Guimbal National High School (GNHS) in the Municipality of Guimbal.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, one of the principal proponents of the BPSF, has joined the caravan in the province of Iloilo in which he emphasized that the government services should be accessible to all citizens.

“Ang administrasyon ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ay handang tumulong sa lahat ng nangangarap at kumikilos para sa mas magandang buhay. Ito po ang pangako ng Bagong Pilipinas – isang nagkakaisang pamahalaan na hindi naghihintay. Pamahalaan na kusang lumalapit sa mamamayan para matugunan ang inyong mga pangangailangan sa mas lalong madaling panahon,” Speaker Romualdez said.

“Tinutupad natin ang pangakong ito sa pamamagitan ng Serbisyo Fair na idinadaos natin ngayon dito sa inyong probinsya,” he added.

Aware of the difficulty in accessing government services, particularly for many of our citizens who live in far-flung areas, the government decided to take the initiative of bringing these services closer to the people.

“Sa Serbisyo Fair, nagsama-sama ang iba’t ibang mga sangay ng pamahalaan upang maihatid at maipaabot nang mas mabilis ang mahahalagang impormasyon at serbisyo tungo sa ating sama-samang pag-unlad. Halos lahat ng inyong pangangailangan — sa kalusugan, kabuhayan, trabaho, pag-aaral — narito po ngayon sa Serbisyo Fair,” he said.

He said the hugely successful program is a response of the House of Representatives to President Marcos’ Bagong Pilipinas campaign, which emphasizes unified institutions and comprehensive policy reforms for economic recovery.

“Since we launched the BPSF with Malacañang early this year in Biliran, we have been to several provinces and provided services to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos. So far, the response of the people has been unbelievable. This is our gauge that the program is a resounding success,” Speaker Romualdez said.

“We thank all government agencies who helped make this program a reality. This is our response to President Marcos Jr.’s challenge to bring government services closer to the people. And now, we bring this success to Iloilo,” he added.

The BPSF targets over 100,000 beneficiaries in Iloilo, with over 80,000 registered beneficiaries on the first day alone. The service caravan is being implemented in cooperation with Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor and Iloilo Reps. Janette Garin, Ferjenel Biron, Jam Baronda, Michael Gorriceta, Lorenz Defensor and Raul Tupas.

Apart from Biliran, the BPSF has been to Ilocos Norte, Camarines Sur, Leyte, Laguna, Bukidnon, and Isabela.

For the Iloilo leg, some 51 government agencies will be providing 160 government services to Iloilo residents, including social services, financial assistance and regulatory functions.

It also includes “ayuda” or financial grants from government agencies such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) implemented by the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

The BPSF serves a dual purpose: to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of government services and to increase public awareness about various government programs and projects, fostering greater appreciation and understanding among the Ilonggos.

Aside from delivering government services closer to the people of Iloilo, a Pasasalamat Concert will also be held on the first night of the service caravan at the Guimbal National High School Track and Field Oval with free admission, expected to draw a crowd of at least 10,000 people.

Speaker Romualdez said they hope to visit all 82 provinces for the Serbisyo Caravan, reaching a total of 2 million beneficiaries.