• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Cabinet Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is intensifying efforts to bring government assistance directly to communities through a package of programs benefiting barangays, local governments, farmers, and students across the country.
The Palace official spoke during the ceremonial distribution of P120.2-million financial aid to 601 barangay captains and 3,005 scholars at the Pana-ad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Friday, July 31.
Abalos said the President’s vision is to strengthen local government units (LGUs), emphasizing that stronger LGUs will ultimately benefit the entire country.
“All in all, this is going to the grassroots for them to feel the government help,” Abalos said.
Among the flagship initiatives is the nationwide distribution of 10 kilograms of rice to every beneficiary family under the “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” rice program, aside from the financial aid to the 42,011 barangays nationwide.
The rice assistance is provided every other month, allowing each qualified family to receive a total of 60 kilograms of rice annually.
Abalos also highlighted the government’s scholarship program, under which every barangay nationwide will have five scholars receiving P20,000 each.
In addition, every barangay will receive P100,000 for priority development projects.
He noted that every municipality, city, and province is also benefiting from the Local Government Support Fund, describing the scale of assistance under the present administration as unprecedented.
Abalos said the government has also responded to the red-striped soft scale insect infestation affecting sugarcane farms.
He said Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian approved P10,000 cash assistance for each affected sugarcane farmer while the Department of Agriculture provided support for drone spraying and other interventions.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration also supplied pesticides to help contain the pest outbreak.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Rea Uy-Epistola of the Office of the Executive Secretary said the P100,000 of the P200,000 aid is intended for five graduating college students, with barangay chairpersons tasked to formulate the selection guidelines.
Bacolod City, a highly urbanized city, also received P12.2 million for its 61 barangays, benefiting 305 scholars.
Uy-Epistola said the President’s goal is to ensure that every barangay will have at least one college graduate through what he calls the “Finisher Fund.”
“By the end of school year 2027, the President wants around 200,000 barangay scholars holding college diplomas,” she said.
To ensure transparency and proper use of the funds, Uy-Epistola said her office is coordinating with the Liga ng mga Barangay and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
She said the DILG has already issued a memorandum circular containing implementation guidelines, reporting procedures, and mechanisms for filing complaints.
She added that the Liga ng mga Barangay also operates a Facebook hotline where concerns and complaints are monitored and addressed.
Uy-Epistola said the nationwide program has a total funding allocation of P8 billion, of which about P7.4 billion has already been distributed.
She clarified that the funds did not come from the national budget but from the President’s Socio-Civic Project trust fund, which finances presidential financial assistance programs.
She said the President ordered the immediate release of scholarship funds before the opening of classes while ensuring compliance with election guidelines ahead of the Sept. 1 election period.
Earlier in the day, residents from Barangays Poblacion, Sampinit, Busay, Lag-asan, Balingasag, Calumangan, Pacol, and Taloc in Bago City each received 10 kilograms of rice under the “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” program during a distribution held at the Bago City Coliseum and Cultural Center. | GPB
