A total of 3,005 graduating college students from 601 barangays in Negros Occidental will receive financial aid under the Presidential Assistance to Barangays.
They will receive P20,000 each from the P200,200,000 turned over to the 601 Negros Occidental barangays at ceremonial rites held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Friday, July 31, Assistant Secretary Rea Uy Epistola from the Office of the Executive Secretary said.
Each barangay received P200,000 — P100,000 for five scholars and P100,000 for development priority projects under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Presidential Assistance to Barangays program, Epistola added.
The 61 barangays of Bacolod, which is a highly urbanized city, have also received P12.2 million, which covers 305 scholars, Epistola said.
Epistola said P8 billion has been allocated to 42,011 barangays nationwide, and they will finish releasing the funds before the barangay election ban.
This means there will be 200,000 presidential scholars nationwide, she said.
The amount comes from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund, which is drawn from the trust fund of the President, she added.
“This is one way of directly helping the 601 barangays in Negros Occidental… we are very thankful to the President for extending this assistance, and for giving importance to education,” Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
The turnover was also attended by Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District), Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District), and mayors of Negros Occidental.
Abalos told the scholars present at the ceremonial turnover that education is the great equalizer for their future and their families.
He shared that his family was poor: his grandfather was a gardener, his grandmother was a helper, and his father was a janitor and golf caddie.
His father studied hard and became a lawyer, prosecutor, mayor, and Commission on Elections chairman, Abalos said, as he stressed the importance of education in improving lives.
Abalos, in an interview, said the President’s Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program is geared toward strengthening local government units, which will benefit the whole country.
The Cabinet secretary also joined the distribution of rice under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang to residents in Bago City and Victorias City on Friday.
Marañon, Benitez, and Alvarez thanked the President for directly providing assistance to the barangays for priority projects, and reminded the scholars of the importance of focusing on their education.*
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