Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian joined President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in the ceremonial distribution of various government assistance and services to select farmers, fisherfolk, and their families in Davao Region on Thursday (June 6).
“Hindi po namin kayo pababayaan. Kayo po ang sandigan ng ating bayan sa pag-unlad, kaya hindi kami titigil sa pag-agapay sa inyong lahat,” President Marcos Jr. said in his message to farmers and fisherfolk at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.
(Rest assured, we will not abandon you. You are the backbone of our nation’s progress, so we will not cease supporting all of you.)
The distribution of various government assistance is part of the administration’s whole-of-government approach to uplift the lives of Filipinos under the Bagong Pilipinas’ brand of governance.
“Lahat po ng mga departamento na makakatulong, isinama namin. Ito po ang tinatawag naming whole of nation approach. Ibig-sabihin ang buong pamahalaan, hindi lamang isang department, hindi lamang isang ahensya kung hindi ang buong pamahalaan ay nandiyan upang pagandahin at gawing matagumpay ang ating mga programa,” the President said.
(We have included all the departments that can help. This is what we call the whole of nation approach. It means that the entire government, not just one department or one agency, but the whole government is there to improve and ensure the success of our programs.)
President Marcos also vowed that the national and local governments will continue to collaborate to effectively and efficiently aid farmers and fisherfolk who are suffering from the effects of El Nino phenomenon.
“Sa panahon ng tagtuyot at tag-ulan, kaagapay ninyo kami sa pagbangon tungo sa mas maunlad na buhay,” President Marcos said.
(During times of drought and rainy season, we are with you in rising towards a more prosperous life.)
During the ceremonial turnover of aid, President Marcos, along with other government officials, personally led the distribution of Php10,000 in cash assistance to 10 beneficiaries from the provinces of Davao Del Norte, Davao De Oro, and Davao Oriental. Each provincial government also received Php10 million from the President.
For its part, the DSWD targeted to distribute 19,000 family food packs (FFPs) and disburse Php10,000 in cash aid each to 10,000 beneficiaries per province in the entire Davao region.
The Office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez distributed 5 kilograms of rice to each beneficiary while the farmers and fisherfolk also received fishing boats and other different agricultural types of machinery.
Aside from Secretary Gatchalian, other Cabinet members who were present include Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr, Special Assistant to the President Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Magno.
Local officials from the different Davao provinces and Tagum City witnessed the distribution of government assistance.
Davao Region is the fifth region visited by the President and his team of Cabinet secretaries for aid giving to farmers and fisherfolk affected by El Niño. #
