TACLOBAN CITY– Over 2 million kilograms of premium rice and a total of P250 million in cash assistance were distributed to 83,000 beneficiaries across the Eastern Visayas region under the national government’s “revolutionary” Cash Assistance and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program from April 5 to 7, 2024.
The CARD recipients mostly came from marginalized groups, including the poor, senior citizens, persons with disability, single parents, and family breadwinners, among others.
“Lumapag na po sa Leyte, Samar at Biliran ang CARD Program upang maghatid ng libreng bigas at ayuda para sa ating mga kababayan na nagmumula sa mga vulnerable sectors. Dito po ipinadadama ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa ating mga mamamayan ang pagkalinga ng pamahalaan,” said Leyte First District Congressman and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in a statement.
The CARD program was rolled out as part of Marcos’ nationwide Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF).
House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada Jr. said the CARD Program “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.
He also lauded the partnership with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian for the program.
Launched in 2023, the CARD Program seeks to provide cash and rice assistance to qualified Filipino families, which will be identified by the congressional districts.
The pilot distribution occurred 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, as reported by the Office of the House Speaker.
(RONALD O. REYES)
