AN ADDITIONAL batch of 2,000 tertiary education students in Surigao del Norte each received a cash aid of ₱2,000 as the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair continues its nationwide rollout on Saturday in a simple ceremony at the Bislig City Cultural and Sports Center.

The 2,000 students were beneficiaries of the Integrated Scholarship and Incentives Program for the Youth or ISIP Program.

House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias “Ponyong” P. Gabonada Jr., one of the leaders of the BPSF National Secretariat, stated that aside from the cash aid and free 5 kilos of rice, the students will also be enrolled under the Commission of Higher Education’s Tulong Dunong Program where students can get scholarship assistance per semester amounting to a total of P15,000.

They will also obtain priority slots under the Government Internship Program after graduation and their unemployed parents or guardians may be enrolled in the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program.

Aside from the students, another 4,000 residents of Surigao del Sur received rice and cash assistance.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez also led the distribution of aid under the Cash and Rice Distribution and Start-up, Incentives, Business Opportunity, and Livelihood.

“Pag may BPSF sa isang lugar, tiyak na may distribution din sa ilalim ng CARD, SIBOL at ISIP. At atin itong hinihiwalay para masiguro na ating maabot ang ilang sektor ng lipunan na nahihirapan sa ating panahon ngayon,” Romualdez said.

“Each of the sectors benefitting from these programs have their own unique challenges to face. Kaya naman nag-isip tayo ng mga programa na tatarget sa mga kababayan nating ito para sila ay matulungang umahon sa mga hamong hinaharap araw-araw,” he added.

Romualdez is one of the major proponents of all of the programs. He said that he is always finding ways to help all of the sectors that need assistance.

“Lahat ng tulong na ito ay may balik. Tinutulungan natin sila sa oras ng kanilang pangangailangan para pagdating ng panahon na sila ay umunlad, magiging produktibong miyembro na sila ng lipunan,” he said.