By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a bid to ensure equitable access to public services that resonate down to the local community, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. continues to sustain the momentum of his administration’s Bawat Bayan Makikinabang program.
After an earlier engagement with beneficiaries and village chiefs in Makati City, the President made another appearance at a similar event held at the MCST Gymnasium, Mandaluyong City on Monday.
The program opened with an orientation of the Presidential Scholars, with the Chief Executive expressing high regard for these young learners, whom he touts as the bright minds that serve as the hope of the nation’s future.
He reminded the scholars to value the importance of education, “Kahit na anong mangyari, hindi na malulusaw yan, hindi mananakaw sa inyo, hindi maaagaw sa inyo, hindi na mawawala yan. Kaya tiyakin niyo, make sure na ang opportunity na ito ay mapakinabangan niyo nang mabuti to maximize the P20,000 na maibibigay namin.”
After his brief interaction with the scholars, President Marcos Jr. himself facilitated the distribution of approximately 1,000 10-kg sacks of rice to tricycle and jeepney drivers in the city.
This was followed by a speech that outlines the nuances of the program, which taps the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to provide quality staple grain to beneficiaries, expand financial opportunities for select students, and foster further development of villages.
On top of the rice aid to transport sector workers, the 27 barangays in the city each received P200,000 in financial support, with 135 Presidential Scholars each receiving P20,000 in scholarship grants from their respective barangays.
As of press time, over 8,700 barangays are reported to have reaped the benefits of this program that supports learners through the government’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund Program. (with report from Kenneth Paciente | PTV News)
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