Over two million kilograms of rice and a total of P250 million in cash aid were granted to 83,000 beneficiaries in Eastern Visayas, under the revolutionary Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program from April 5 to 7, held in several areas in Region VIII.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez reaffirmed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s dedication to fulfilling its promise of providing the necessary assistance to the Filipino people.
House deputy secretary general Sofonias Gabonada Jr. said the CARD Program, an initiative of Speaker Romualdez in response to Marcos’ call on the House of Representatives to address the increasing price of rice, has benefitted the citizens of Tacloban City, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.
“Under the leadership of Speaker Martin, the House of Representatives is fully committed to addressing President Marcos’ challenges, focusing on aiding the vulnerable sectors,” said Gabonada, who leads the secretariat for the House of Representatives’ CARD program, in collaboration with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
Romualdez thanked the DSWD, especially Gatchalian, for taking part in the program that aims to support vulnerable Filipinos by providing them with affordable access to rice and essential cash assistance.
For the CARD Program in Eastern Visayas, a total of P3,000 was granted to each of the 83,000 beneficiaries through the DSWD AICS program, broken down as follows: P1,000 designated for rice (or approximately 25 kilos at the rate of P40 per kilo) and P2,000 for miscellaneous essential expenses.
Beneficiaries mostly came from marginalized groups, including the poor, senior citizens, PWDs, single parents, and family breadwinners, among others.
A total of 2,075,000 kilograms of premium rice were allocated for the benefit of the intended beneficiaries of the program, with over P250 million in AICS payout, a press release from Romualdez’s office said.
The CARD program was launched last year, and seeks to provide cash and rice assistance to qualified Filipino families, which will be identified by legislative districts.
The pilot distribution was done in Metro Manila, covering all its 33 legislative districts with each having 10,000 beneficiaries, for a total of 330,000 residents, and in Biñan City and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.
The CARD program was also rolled out as part of Marcos’ nationwide Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair. It 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. ||
