BUTUAN CITY (PIA) –  No province will be left behind in Bagong Pilipinas.

This was the firm commitment made by Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez as he led the conduct of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) at the Caraga State University in Butuan City on March 22 and 23.

“The BPSF will reach the last 82nd province of the country to ensure that everyone will benefit from the programs and services of the government,” he said.

Some 80,000 Caraganons took part in the Serbisyo Fair .

Other officials who also graced the BPSF were Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and 60 congressional representatives, including Tingog Party list Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, provincial governors from the different provinces of Mindanao, local chief executives of the province of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City, key officials of the government, and other dignitaries who joined the multitude as support for the host province headed by the first district of Agusan del Norte, Congressional Representative Jose “Joboy” S. Aquino II.

The 14th leg of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair in Agusan del Norte on March 22 to 23 at the Caraga State University in Butuan City was fully supported by key officials and dignitaries of the government. It recorded the highest participants with  80,000 attendees. (Photo of PIA Caraga) 

Over 293 services were put in place by the 53 participating national government agencies, with P300 million worth of programs and services,  P122 million of cash assistance, and more than P177 million in-kind assistance released to qualified beneficiaries.

Rep. Aquino felt proud of the enthusiasm of the Agusanons and Butuanons as the BPSF in Agusan del Norte recorded the highest number of participants, including 57 payouts for the 32,000 beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development program on Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the 5,000 more who received assistance under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the Department of Labor and Employment.

As early as 5:00 a.m. on March 22, Caraganons especially from Agusan del Norte and Butuan City started to arrive and fall in line for registration at Caraga State University in Butuan City to join and avail of the services of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair. (Photo of PIA Caraga) 

The Philippine Information Agency in Caraga, led by Regional Head Venus L. Garcia, organized media activities, including a dialogue called "Fun Kwentuhan" with CHED Chairperson J. Prospero De Vera III, emphasizing the significance of Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) in enabling more Filipinos to be the first in their families to graduate.

"Bakit kayo espesyal? Kasi 'yong first generation graduates, ang sisiguraduhin nila sa kanilang buhay, ay hindi nila ipapamana ang kahirapan nila sa kanilang mga anak. [Why are you special? Because the first generation graduates, you make sure that you do not allow your children to experience poverty. ] They will stop poverty in their generation," De Vera said.

He also emphasized that he has a high regard for public education, as he finished his schooling at public schools.

"Do not give up when you can already see the finish line from a distance. Continue the perseverance," De Vera added to inspire the young participants in the activity.

Dr. Cesar Cassion, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) Caraga, said in a media briefing,  “We provided 21 services and served a total of 1,538 beneficiaries for the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair.”

Of the services provided by the DOH, medical services took the lead with a total of 188 clients served, followed by dental services with 184 clients assisted.

In addition to financial aid, government agencies like the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga provided technical support to the public, including Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) training, equipment demonstrations, and distribution of disaster preparedness guidebooks.

The Capacity Building and Training Section (CBTS) conducted lectures on the Philippine DRRM system and earthquake preparedness for the deans of colleges, faculty, and students of Caraga State University.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga also provided free legal services during the 2-day conduct of BPSF.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) implemented its satellite voter registration as well on campus, allowing the locals to register and update their records so they can exercise suffrage for the next election.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Caraga provided free WiFi access to all service providers of the BPSF and facilitated the services on cybersecurity and startup awareness talks, digital literacy training, Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI) consultation and technical assistance, e-Local Government Unit/eGov super app promotion booth, vaccination certificate technical assistance, registration for free ICT training, government online services, and postal regulations concern.

Indeed, the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair is the biggest festival of services that the government has carried out in the country. With its jam-packed engagement and good turnout, more Caraganons are hoping that this will reach the remaining islands and far-flung areas of the region with additional days. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)