DAGUPAN CITY (PIA) – Senator Maria Josefa "Imee" Marcos visited the province of Pangasinan anew and led the distribution of P12 million worth of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to 4,000 Pangasinenses on Monday.
 
The AICS is a program of the DSWD that aids citizens in the country who are in need of financial and material assistance, psychosocial intervention, and referral to other services.
 
Assisted by the local government, the presidential sister visited the municipalities of Alcala, Basista, Urbiztondo, and Mangatarem.
 
Each municipality has 1,000 qualified recipients such as senior citizens, tricycle drivers, solo parents, and persons with disability who individually received P3,000.
 
Aside from financial assistance, they also distributed nutribuns, toys, and bags with school supplies to a total of 2,000 kids from the four areas she visited.

Senator Imee Marcos, assisted by Urbiztondo Mayor Modesto Operania and Vice Mayor Volter Balolong, distributes nutribuns, toys, and bags with school supplies to a total of 500 kids from the municipality during her visit on Monday, August 21.

In Urbiztondo town, Senator Marcos said many families were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the pandemic, prices of prime commodities also increased which added burdens not only to them but to all Filipinos nationwide, Marcos said.

Pangasinan also suffered losses in agriculture worth P224 million and infrastructure involving 2,160 damaged houses due to Falcon, Egay, and the southwest monsoon, affecting a total of 112,756 families.

“Kaonting tulong ito para masiguro na talagang makakapag-aral pa rin at tuloy tuloy ang buhay natin,” she said.

Mayor Modesto Operania expressed his gratitude to the senator for the assistance she extended to the people of Urbiztondo. 

“Ako po ay taos pusong nagpapasalamat sa ating mahal na senadora dahil siya po ay nandito, kahit na napakalayo ng ating bayan, dala dala ang kanyang tulong sa ating mga kababayan through the DSWD,” Operania said. 

Hilda Lee, a resident of Pangasinan, said “Salamat po sa pagbisita mo rito sa Pangasinan. Ramdam na ramdam namin ang pagmamahal at suporta mo. Maraming salamat sa pag-asa na dala-dala ninyo sa amin.”

This year, Marcos visited various municipalities and cities in the province and also led the distribution of financial assistance to thousands of beneficiaries.

In March, she visited Lingayen; Umingan, Urdaneta City, Pozorrubio, Asingan, Villasis, Urdaneta City, Rosales, and Dagupan City in April; Lingayen and Binmaley in May; and Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Dagupan City, and Binmaley last August 5. (JCR/AMB/PIA Pangasinan)