THE groundbreaking program of the House of Representatives and the Marcos administration through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide vulnerable families with cash and rice aid has now reached the people of Iloilo Saturday after its successful launch in Metro Manila, Bukidnon, Laguna, and Isabela recently.
The Cash and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program, an initiative led by its principal proponent Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, was a response of the House leader in partnership with DSWD Sec. Rex Gatchalian on the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to provide rice and financial assistance to poor Filipino families through the legislative districts of the House of Representatives.
“Ngayong araw po ay pormal nating sisimulan ang programang Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution o CARD program dito sa inyong probinsya,” said Speaker Romualdez during his keynote address at the launch of the project in Guimbal Gymnasium in the Municipality of Guimbal in the Province of Iloilo.
“Nabuo ang programang CARD bilang tugon sa hamon ng ating mahal na Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa inyong Kongreso na tumulong para bigyan ng ginhawa ang ating mamamayan sa harap ng pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas at iba pang basic goods,” Speaker Romualdez, the leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives, added.
The CARD Program, like the previous one in Bukidnon, coincides with the launch of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Iloilo, which was held at the Guimbal National High School.
“Tinanggap ng inyong Kongreso ang hamon ng pagtulong at agad kaming nakipag-ugnayan sa DSWD at sa ating mga kaibigan mula sa industriya ng bigas para masigurado na mananatiling abot-kamay ang bigas sa marami nating kababayan,” Romualdez said.
“Dito po natin nakikita kung paano tayo puwedeng magtulungan para sama-samang harapin ang anumang hamon sa buhay. Sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaisa at tiwala sa isa’t-sa, at sa tulong na rin ng pamahalaan, magagawa nating malampasan ang anumang pagsubok,” he added.
For the CARD Program in Iloilo, a total of 3,000 beneficiaries had been identified to receive P2,000 worth of cash and rice assistance: 25-kilogram sack of rice and P1,000 in cash to buy other food essentials.
Beneficiaries, which include senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents and IPs, were selected by the DSWD. The CARD Program will also feature booths for the purchase of cheaper rice.
The CARD Program was earlier launched 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. It was also launched in Bukidnon and Isabela in November.
“Sa pagkakaisa at tiwala sa bawat isa, mas marami pa po tayong magagawa tungo sa sama-sama nating pag-unlad. Kasimanwa, dumating na sa Iloilo ang bagong Pilipinas,” Speaker Romualdez declared.
He explained that like the BPSF, the CARD program will also go nationwide to serve constituents of the 250 congressional districts in the Philippines, which, at 10,000 beneficiaries per district, translates to 2.5 million indigent and vulnerable Filipinos.
