The House of Representatives and the Department of Social Welfare and Development teamed up on Sunday and provided financial and rice aid program under the Cash and Rice Distribution or CARD program.

No less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez spearheaded the distribution of the aid in Manila and Laguna, which he said was a direct response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call to Congress to rollout programs aimed at alleviating poverty by giving away affordable and quality rice.

In October, the House and the DSWD announced their intention to kick off a program designed to provide financial and rice assistance to around 2.5 million individuals in the Philippines.

The said pilot project — which aims to target the most in need — was supposed to be called the "Malaya Rice Project."

During the launch of the CARD on Sunday, the House and the DSWD provided aid to at least 335,000 beneficiaries.

Romualdez said the House, in collaboration with DSWD, headed by his former peer, Rex Gatchalian, would exert their best efforts to beat their initial target of 2.5 million.

The CARD Program was launched in Metro Manila's 33 legislative districts, each with 10,000 poor and vulnerable beneficiaries for 330,000 recipients, which will be divided into four payouts.

It was also initiated in Biñan City and Sta. Rosa City, with 3,000 and 2,000 beneficiaries, respectively.

Each beneficiary receiving aid, which includes senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents and IPs, will receive at least P2,000: P950 for the 25-kilogram sack of rice at P38 per kg, with the remaining allotted to buy other food essentials.