TUTOK To Win Party-list Rep. Samuel S. Verzosa Jr. will take inspiration to craft more bills tackling poverty from the humble stories of “poor but deserving” Filipinos to be featured in his new public affairs program titled “Dear SV,” which premiered on February 18 at 7:30 p.m. on CNN Philippines.
Running for 13 weekly episodes, it will feature ordinary people from all walks of life, whose perseverance to face and survive poverty deserves support.
“’Dear SV’ is a public service show that aims to give hope and help to our fellows who undergo hardships yet persevere in life. They deserve to get any form of assistance with this very timely program, especially now that we are nearing post-pandemic. Many people are now recovering, wanting to get employment or livelihood to bounce back from this health crisis,” he said in mixed Filipino and English during the recent launch of his TV program.
The concept of his 30-minute show, Verzosa said, is to document the encouraging lives of their chosen beneficiaries, most especially their daily struggles and how they cope up with these.
“This show is for all: no matter what age or status in life, whether children or senior citizens, single parents, jobseekers, overseas Filipino workers, and persons with disability, among others, who work hard in order to survive,” Verzosa said.
“So we give not just a one-time support, but a sustainable assistance—be it financial aid, livelihood, scholarships, or employment—until they achieve their goals. It’s a good feeling to help those who help themselves to change their lives,” he added.
Since the lawmaker gets to meet and interview their subjects, he said that this would make him more aware of the various challenges faced by the marginalized sector of society.
“So all of their problems will be of help for me, as a member of the 19th Philippine Congress, to formulate and legislate more laws that will benefit the impoverished,” he said.
Being the Vice Chairman of the Committee on Poverty Alleviation, he recently led the deliberations of the Technical Working Group on the “Expanded Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act,” a substitute bill that will create education, entrepreneurship, livelihood, and economic opportunities for adult beneficiaries of the conditional cash grant initiative of the government.
