DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 5 Sep)—Despite the falling-out between the Marcoses and the Dutertes, the national government still “hears and sees the needs of the city” amid the political tension, party-list Rep. Margarita Ignacia “Migs” Nograles said.
The Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) representative, who was one of the 203 congressional representatives present during the opening program of the two-day “MindaNOW: Serbisyo para sa Mindanao” caravan held at the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) here, said that amid the “marites” (gossipers), the national government still “loves the people of Davao City.”
“Siyaro dili ta malipay. Makita natin, kining administration nagatan-aw sa atoa, nagapaminaw sa atoa, at handang mohatag og tabang ug mohatag og ayuda sa atoa,” Nograles said in her speech. (This should make us happy. We can see that this administration is looking after us, listening to us, and ready to provide help.)
She said that bringing the MindaNOW caravan, which they dubbed as the “biggest Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF),” to Davao is a product of their discussions with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
People’s Television reported that the program delivers P1.2 billion worth of assistance: P1 billion in cash assistance and P200 million in in-kind assistance for 250,000 beneficiaries.
From this number of beneficiaries, 150,000 received cash assistance through the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), and 50,000 beneficiaries received under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
Nograles said that Romualdez was looking for a local leader who could help him to make the biggest BPSF happen in Davao.
Romualdez, who was in attendance, said that the biggest serbisyo fair is the government’s way to help people to “easily access” government services.
This is the 23rd BPSF in the country and the third in the Davao Region. The first was in Monkayo, Davao de Oro, for the nationwide launch in September 2023, and the second was in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, in June 2024.
Davao City, which is known to have Duterte leaders, has had the Nograles family as rivals to the Dutertes for years now, with only an apparent ceasefire when the Duterte patriarch Rodrigo ran for and won the presidency in 2016.
On July 10, Paolo Duterte accused the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) of halting funds for his office’s medical assistance program allegedly favoring another party list, apparently referring to Nograles’ PBA party list. The DSWD’s move, he claims, is politically motivated.
Duterte urged his constituents to seek aid from the PBA party list, which he said has “surplus funds.”
Nograles denied the accusation, emphasizing that DSWD funds are being properly distributed and that her office continues to provide assistance.
She said they still continue organizing caravans, except for barangays where they are disallowed by officials from holding such an activity. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
