The local government of Siquijor recently disclosed that at least 3,000 residents in the province has been provided assistance under the Cash and Rice Distribution Program, a project under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

A joint initiative of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the CARD program was launched following the President’s directive mandating lawmakers to provide food and financial aid for the needy.

“Rice is a staple in every Filipino’s diet. No Filipino meal is complete without rice. That is why we at the House of Representatives have gone to great lengths to ensure that this staple remains within the reach of the common Filipino,” Romualdez said.

The program aims to provide a P2,000 aid to every beneficiary all over the country — P1,000 as cash aid and P1,000 for a 25-kilogram sack of rice.

“We created this CARD program to keep rice affordable for our countrymen, particularly to our elderlies, persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged sectors. Today, you will not only receive rice, but also financial help, which can be used as capital, for your livelihood,” Romualdez said.

He added that the House of Representatives has done everything to make rice affordable for Filipinos, from conducting hearings designed to get to the bottom of issues of hoarding, to visits at warehouses and public markets to ensure that the price is within reach even by the poor.

Meanwhile, Romualdez thanked the DSWD for spearheading the implementation of the project under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations Program.

The DSWD identifies all the beneficiaries including senior citizens, PWDs, solo parents and indigenous peoples.

To recall, the CARD program was launched last year to benefit qualified Filipino families identified by the legislative districts. It was initiated in Metro Manila, covering all its legislative districts with 10,000 beneficiaries each for a total of 330,000 residents, and in Biñan City and Santa Rosa in Laguna.