Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto hailed House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez as the “secret weapon” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the launch of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) in Lipa City, Batangas on Saturday.
He credited Romualdez for being a key driving force behind the administration’s success.
“Here is the leadership of the Congress, the President’s partner, the President’s first cousin and the mastermind of a program like this. He is the reason why we have [BPSF],” Recto, a Batangas native and former senator and representative, told the crowd as he introduced Romualdez.
“When did you see a Speaker visit the province of Batangas? Given time, this person, pillar of BBM administration, secret weapon of our President,” Recto said, underscoring Romualdez’s commitment and pivotal role in the administration.
The Saturday event, marking the first of the two-day BPSF in Batangas, saw the rollout of P563 million worth of government services and financial aid to over 60,000 Batangueños.
The BPSF, which continued in the province until Aug. 25, is a comprehensive service caravan designed to reach all 82 provinces in the Philippines.
“So if the BBM administration is doing well, that is also because of the person I will introduce to you,” Recto said.
Romualdez, upon the instruction of the President, was instrumental in the distribution of various aid packages under the BPSF, including the cash assistance and rice distribution program (CARD), Integrated Scholarships and Incentives for the Youth (ISIP) Program and the Start-Up, Investments, Business Opportunities and Livelihood (SIBOL) Program.
More than 3,000 Batangas beneficiaries received P5,000 each through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program along with 20 kilograms of rice.
Romualdez said the CARD program is designed to support vulnerable Filipinos by providing affordable access to essential resources, while also countering hoarding and price manipulation of rice stocks.
For the ISIP Program, 3,000 students received P5,000 under the DSWD’s AKAP and five kilograms of rice at the Lipa Academy of Sports, Culture and Arts.
The student-beneficiaries would also be enrolled under the Commission on Higher and Technical Education’s Tulong Dunong Program, providing further financial support for their education.
The SIBOL Program, aimed at fostering innovation and economic growth among MSMEs and start-ups, also benefited 3,000 small entrepreneurs in Batangas, each receiving P5,000 and five kgs. of rice at the Claro M. Recto Events Center.
Recto assured the public that the BPSF was not a political rally but a genuine act of service, emphasizing unity and public service over factionalism.
“This gathering is not a rally but a service. Not politics but service. What we want is not to divide into factions or groups, but to unite with the goal of helping. Not conflict but comfort,” he said.
“You see, it’s a great service here today. I think all the agencies listed in the government directory are here, they are all present,” he said.
The BPSF-Batangas is the 22nd iteration of the nationwide service caravan, reflecting the Marcos administration’s commitment to delivering comprehensive assistance directly to communities across the country.
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