By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday assured local chief executives and the public of continued support from the national government, especially as the country reels from the impact of the geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
During the “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” Program at the Batangas Province Events Center in Batangas City, Marcos vowed to increase funding for local government units (LGUs) under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) as long as ongoing government assistance programs continue to deliver positive results nationwide.
Through the LGSF, the administration aims to deliver assistance to citizens faster, more direct, and more effectively by strengthening local governments.
“Patuloy po nating gagawin ito. At sinasabi ko sa inyong lahat… huwag ninyong isipin na minsanan lang ito,” the President said.
“Sa ating mga government officials, sa ating mga local government, pagbutihan ninyo itong ginagawa nating mga programang ito. ‘Pag maganda ang maging resulta nito, asahan ninyo sa susunod na budget, lalakihan pa namin ang pondo para dito.”
The Chief Executive underscored the importance of a whole-of-government approach in addressing the immediate and long-term needs of the Filipino people.
He noted that strong cooperation between the national government and LGUs is needed to ensure the success of government programs, as local leaders know better about the conditions and situations in their communities.
“Dahil lagi ko pong sinasabi, kahit napakaganda ng mga programa, ng mga proyekto ng national government, kung hindi po sisipagan, kung hindi po gagawin nang maganda ang trabaho ng ating mga local government, ang [taumbayan] wala naman pong mararamdaman,” Marcos said.
“At kung maayos ang maging trabaho natin, makikita ng tao ‘yan. At masasabi natin ay maganda pala ito. Dagdagan natin ng pondo para mas malawak pa, mas marami pa tayong matutulungan, mas marami pang magkakaroon ng benepisyo dito sa ating ginagawa,” he continued.
During the event, the President oversaw the ceremonial distribution of 10 kilograms of rice each to qualified beneficiaries in Batangas province, with around 235,000 Batangueños receiving the rice subsidy.
Each recipient will get 10 kg of rice six times within the year—easing the impact of rising food prices caused by global trade and energy disruptions.
Approximately P15 billion in funds for rice subsidy have been released nationwide under the LGSF. The President, on April 16, also led the distribution of free rice in Manila City, where around 80,000 Manileños are expected to benefit from the “Biyayang Bigas” initiative.
“Alam naman natin ang nagiging problema—tumaas ang presyo ng langis. At alam na natin ‘yan: Pag tumaas ang presyo ng langis, kasama na diyan lahat ng bilihin ng tao,” he said.
About 1,078 barangays in the province also received P200,000 financial assistance each under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF) of the Office of the Executive Secretary.
Half of the P200,000 financial aid will be allocated for capital outlay projects such as the purchasing of patrol vehicles, computer sets, printers, tents, as well as closed-circuit television (CCTV) and streetlight installations, while the remaining P100,000 will fund educational assistance for five “presidential scholars” in each barangay.
“Tig-P20,000 ang ibibigay natin. Mamimili ang ating mga barangay official ng lima na deserving student para naman tiyakin ay makatapos naman sila… Kaya sa palagay ko isa na ito sa pinakamagandang maibigay natin para sa ating mga kabataan,” Marcos said.
-jpv
