A proposed bill seeking to institutionalize the policy behind the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) that brings government service and aid directly to the people, and establish Bagong Pilipinas Tulong Centers in every province and city has been proposed to Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez today.
In an interview at the opening of the BPSF Agency Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum Hall in Pasay City, House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias “Ponyong” P. Gabonada Jr. said one of the objectives of the summit is to pool together the minds of national government agencies and craft a “Bagong Pilipinas Bill.”
“We are proposing to the Speaker (Romualdez) ngayong umagang ito na ibalangkas ang batas na ‘Bagong Pilipinas Bill.’ Nandun ang pagpuput-up ng Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Centers, Bagong Pilipinas Tulong Centers,” Gabonada told reporters in an interview.
“(Kasama dito ang) paggawa ng mekanismo kung saan nag-uusap-usap itong mga ahensya dun sa convergence ng programa kasi may mga programa talaga na nangangailangan ng ibang ahensya to make it maximized, para ma fully utilized yung resources ng gobyerno,” he added.
“With that bill, masisiguro natin na magkakaroon ng tamang pondo, magkakaroon ng tamang sistema at magkakaroon ng tamang implementasyon ng Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair,” Gabonada said.
Gabonada, one of the key officials overseeing the implementation of the BPSF, said a total of 1,500 officials and staff of 78 national government agencies responsible for the success of the BPSF that visited 21 provinces so far will be attending the summit.
He said as of present, the BPSF has benefitted a total of 2.5 million families that collectively received a total of around P10 billion worth of government programs and financial aid in the one year that the service caravan has been operating.
Gabonada said in institutionalizing the BPSF Serbisyo and Tulong Centers, they hope to allocate funds for the establishment of these centers in every province.
“Tinatarget natin na sana pagbigyan tayo ng Pangulo at ni House Speaker at ng Kongreso in terms of budget allocation na maglagay ng Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Center sa bawat probinsya kung saan nandoon na ang lahat ng ahensya sa isang building para hindi na mahirapan ang tao sa pag-avail ng mga serbisyong bayan,” he explained.
Gabonada said the BPSF has gone a long way since it started last year, citing the high number of families who benefitted from the services of the caravan.
“We started with a small target, sabi namin isang milyong Pilipino lang ang gusto naming matulungan. Pero as of one year na implementation ng Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair, 2.5 million families na ang nabigyan natin ng benepisyo,” he declared.
He said the three-day Agency Summit will assess the strengths and weaknesses of the BPSF they have undertaken.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. himself will attend the Gabi ng Pagkakaisa Fellowship Dinner scheduled at 6 p.m. today, along with huge number of lawmakers from the House of Representatives.
The BPSF is an initiative of Speaker Romualdez and lawmakers upon instruction of President Marcos.
“Gusto pa nating mapalawak, mapa-improve pa ang pagbigigay ng BPSF sa natitira pa nating mga probinsya. We’re expecting 82 provinces, we’ve been to 21 provinces. So ito ay pagkakataon na mag-usap-usap ang mga ahensya on a regional level because yung mga regional directors, sila po ‘yung working committee members natin,” Gabonada said.
“Me mga inputs din tayo from our experts, from public administration, from NEDA, from the economic team, from project utilization, na sa tingin namin ay mas mabuting malaman din ng ating mga regional directors,” he added.
The BPSF plans to go to Batangas next, and then the provinces of Cavite and Pangasinan. (END)
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