In the midst of their bitter political feud, the Marcos administration showered Davao City, the turf of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, with a whopping P1 billion in cash aid and over P200 million in additional assistance on Thursday.

Roughly 250,000 beneficiaries are projected to receive various forms of aid, including rice, scholarships, livelihood support, and monetary assistance, during the two-day Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF). This flagship program of the administration is designed to provide economically challenged Filipinos with easy access to government services.

At least 38 agencies, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), the Commission on Higher Education, and the Philippine Statistics Authority rolled out 57 programs to cater to the needs of indigent Filipinos in Davao and nearby provinces in Mindanao.

Nearly 200 members of the House of Representatives allied with the President, including Speaker Martin Romualdez, trooped to the Dutertes' home court to spearhead the distribution of government assistance on behalf of the Chief Executive.

Among the programs granted to the beneficiaries was a P15,000 yearly scholarship under the Government Internship Program and 10 kilos of rice per each beneficiary. 

Meanwhile, 150,000 residents received DSWD’s Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program while 50,000 citizens received cash aid under DOLE’s Tulong Pang-hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantage/Displaced Workers Program. 

They also handed out programs seeking to provide medical aid to those seeking health services in government hospitals and grant cash assistance to the poorest of the poor.

"We believe that these financial assistance programs are an investment. When those we help from these sectors develop, they will contribute to the development of the town, Romualdez said in a mix of Filipino in English.

He added, "We will not abandon these three programs because we believe that the more the government helps, the easier it will be for our communities to develop."

The service caravan was the third in Davao Region and the 23rd in the entire country.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua said the BPSF is a great avenue for ensuring that government resources are directly handed out to the public.

"Ang maganda kasi rito nakikita natin na nakikinabang ang taumbayan. Kasi maharap naman na humihingi yung mga departmento ng pondo pagkatapos hindi nararamdaman ng tao. hindi nakikita," he said in an ambush interview.