A total of 8,500 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas (Region 8) received rice, educational, and livelihood assistance under three programs conceived and spearheaded by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, as per orders of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to provide financial aid to struggling sectors that are not part of the government’s major social protection programs.
Romualdez is the main proponent of the Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) program, the Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity and Livelihood (SIBOL), and the Integrated Scholarship and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP for the Youth).
All three programs use funds allocated for the Ayuda sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The CARD program is a revolutionary initiative of Romualdez that aims to provide cash and rice assistance to the most vulnerable sectors of society, through the legislative districts of the House of Representatives.
A total of 3,000 beneficiaries in Eastern Samar each received P5,000 and 20 kilograms of rice in a ceremony held at the Tacloban City Astrodome Aug. 2.
The CARD program not only intends to boost the purchasing power of the public but also serves as a strategic measure against hoarding and price manipulation of rice stocks; it represents a joint effort to address the challenges of rising rice prices and promote economic stability for the benefit of Filipinos.
The SIBOL program, meanwhile, aims to help struggling small Filipino entrepreneurs cope with the rising costs of goods. It aims to encourage start-up businesses that will serve 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.
A total of 2,500 beneficiaries from Eastern Visayas each received P5,000 in cash aid and five kilograms of rice in a distribution ceremony held at the HRDC Alba Hall, Leyte Normal University, also on Friday.
The ISIP for the Youth, on the other hand, is a financial assistance program for struggling college students, who cannot afford the costs of education.
It is also an initiative of Romualdez, in collaboration with government agencies, to assist deserving students facing financial challenges in pursuing quality education, a press release from his office said, adding that 3,000 student-beneficiaries each received P5,000 and five kilograms of rice in a ceremony at the Leyte Academic Center in Tacloban City Friday.
The beneficiaries will also be enrolled under the Commission on Higher Education’s Tulong Dunong Program, where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to P15,000, as well as priority slots under the Government Internship Program after graduation.
Their unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program. ||
