Around 3,000 families in Muntinlupa City received 10 kilograms of quality rice each on Wednesday under First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos’ socio-civic initiative, “Mula sa Puso Para sa Pamilya (From the Heart for the Family).”
The distribution marked the program’s second rollout in the city after its launch on May 6, led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Addressing beneficiaries at the Muntinlupa Sports Center, the First Lady said the President sent her to check on residents and deliver assistance.
“Sabi niya (He said): ‘Even though we cannot eradicate poverty 100 percent, at least itong konting biyaya, sa susunod na araw, makakatulong.’ Alam nyo, hindi ako politiko katulad ng Mayor ninyo, kaya mag-distribute na lang tayo (at least this small blessing will help in the coming days. You know, I’m not a politician like your mayor here, so I’ll just distribute these instead),” she said.
The beneficiaries included 600 women and children under the Gender and Development (GAD) Office, 200 senior citizens and solo parents assisted by the Social Services Department, 1,215 members of the Urban Poor Affairs Office, and 1,261 beneficiaries from ESC-Kabalikat and the city’s fisherfolk organizations.
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon thanked the First Lady for returning after the President led the first distribution in May.
He also cited the national government’s support through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), saying it enables local government units to implement projects and services that directly benefit communities.
Among the recipients was Perlie Garcia, who accepted the rice assistance for her 68-year-old father, Edgardo Garcia, who has been ill.
Garcia thanked the government for the assistance and expressed hope that similar programs would continue to help families cope with daily expenses.
She also appealed for additional support for retired overseas Filipino workers, saying her father, who worked as a plumber in the Middle East from 1992 to 2012, has yet to receive benefits intended for retired OFWs.
Gender and Development Office staff member Lovely Anne Palting said the rice assistance would help ease the burden on vulnerable families, especially amid rising prices of basic commodities.
Also present was San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora, national president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, who underscored the importance of the LGSF in helping local governments implement community programs.
Beneficiaries also joined a raffle featuring prizes such as sacks of rice, rice cookers, digital television boxes, grocery packages, and a Google television set. (PNA)
