President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday led the turnover of PHP102.2 million in assistance under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF) to 511 villages from Tarlac, with half of the allocation earmarked to support presidential scholars.
The financial aid was distributed during the rollout of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang initiative at the Tarlac City Civic Center, where Marcos also met with students from the province who are beneficiaries of the Presidential Scholars Program.
Under the SCPF, each village will receive PHP200,000, with PHP100,000 allotted for development and safety projects and the remaining PHP100,000 to support five presidential scholars, each of whom will receive PHP20,000 to help cover educational expenses.
During his meeting with the presidential scholars, Marcos said education remains the administration’s top priority, describing it as the government’s most important investment for the country’s future.
“Dahil para sa akin, ito ang pinakamahalaga na serbisyo na maaaring ibigay ng pamahalaan para sa ating mga kabataan lalo (For me, education is the most important service that the government can provide to our youth especially),” Marcos said.
Marcos urged the scholars to study hard, finish their education, and use their knowledge to improve their lives, serve their communities, and contribute to nation-building.
He expressed confidence that village officials would ensure the prudent use of the remaining SCPF allocation, saying they are in the best position to identify the needs of their respective communities.
“Sila na ang bahala, ang mga barangay official, kung saan nila gustong gamitin ang perang iyan (I will leave it to the barangay officials to decide how that money should be used),” Marcos said.
“Nasa sa kanila na ‘yun at alam ko naman na gagamitin nila sa pinakamagandang paraan upang matulungan ang ating kababayan (That is now in their hands and I know they will use it in the best possible way to help our fellow countrymen),” he said.
As of July 2, the government has released PHP4.69 billion to 23,432 villages nationwide.
Aside from the SCPF assistance, Marcos distributed 10-kilogram bags of rice to 3,077 beneficiaries from Tarlac.
The rice aid is funded through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), which aims to help local government units (LGUs) deliver service faster to their constituents.
Marcos said around 1,276 LGUs have received assistance under the LGSF since the launch of the Bawat Bayan Makikinabang initiative.
He said the program is being implemented nationwide to reach all communities, adding that some LGUs have already received a second round of assistance.
He also assured beneficiaries that the food assistance would continue every two months to ensure that vulnerable families have enough to eat.
“Asahan po ninyo na ang pamahalaan ninyo ay nasa likod ninyo, kasama po ninyo sa lahat ng inyong pangangailangan (Rest assured that your government stands behind you and will be with you in all your needs),” Marcos said. (PNA)
