Any amount will go a long way if we set it aside for education. Such was the memorable experience of 250 presidential scholars from Dumaguete City and the towns of Bacong and Valencia, who each received P20,000 from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during his visit to Dumaguete recently.
The aid is the scholarship component of the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program, which supports incoming fourth-year college students. The ceremonial distribution was held at the Talay Sports Center.
Ella Mae Rusiana, a scholar from Barangay Poblacion 8 in Dumaguete City, thanked President Marcos for the assistance.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be a scholar because it will help our family. It will help pay for tuition and even our school supplies,” Rusiana said, who is taking up Bachelor of Science in Business Management, major in human resource management, at Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria in Dumaguete City.
Clyde Serapio Paco, a presidential scholar taking up Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, major in electrical technology, said the assistance comes as he prepares to graduate.
“As a presidential scholar in our barangay, this is a big help, especially for one who is graduating like me, because there are many expenses. I am very grateful to our beloved President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” Paco said.
The program aims to help scholars complete their studies so they can support their families.
The scholarship assistance benefited a total of 2,480 residents of Negros Oriental, which included rice subsidy, too.
Rice was given to 2,230 recipients, mainly residents of Barangays Talay and Cantil-e at 10 kilograms each.
The rice was similarly distributed under the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang Rice Assistance Program, which channels national government funds to local government units through the Local Government Support Fund for the purchase of rice.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office head Hillton Edrial said the rice was intended for families identified as poor and near-poor under the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Community-Based Monitoring System, along with members of the vulnerable sector, solo parents, farmers, fisherfolk, ambulant vendors, and low and middle-income earners.
The scholarship funds came from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program, which provides each barangay P200,000 in national government support. Half of the total amount went to scholarships for five fourth-year college students per barangay, and the other half to barangay development projects.
Cipriano Sechico of Barangay Cantil-e, a rice assistance recipient, said the aid would reduce his family’s daily food expenses.
“Makatabang kani ka namo kay di nami mopalit og bugas sa pipila ka adlaw (This will help our family because we will not have to buy rice for a few days),” Sechico said.
“Asahan po ninyo at lagi kong sinasabi sa ating mga local government officials, pag maging maganda ang resulta nito ay titiyakin natin na sa darating na panahon, dagdagan pa natin ‘yang budget na para dito sa local support na binigay natin (I assure you, and I always tell our local government officials, that if these programs produce good results on the ground, we will increase the budget for this support),” said the President. | NWI
