BBM scholarship complaints? Iloilo opens a helpdesk

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The list of Bawat Barangay Makikinabang (BBM) scholars across Iloilo’s more than 1,700 barangays has been finalized, but Liga ng mga Barangay President Amalia Debuque said residents with concerns over the selection of beneficiaries may still file complaints.

In an interview Monday, July 13, Debuque said complaints about the selection process may be emailed to bawatbarangaymakikinabanghelpdesk@gmail.com.

“Unfortunately, however, whatever list has already been submitted is final,” Debuque said.

Her statement came after reports that some students were excluded from the program because barangays allegedly rushed the submission of beneficiary lists.

Questions were also raised over reports that some barangays included the children of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials among the recipients.

Debuque said barangay officials were likewise working within the deadlines set by the National Liga ng mga Barangay for submitting documentary requirements.

“As for the selection process, we constantly remind barangay officials to observe fairness and adhere to the program guidelines in selecting qualified recipients,” she added.

Under the BBM program, each of Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays is entitled to PHP 200,000 funded through Malacañang.

Half of the allocation, or PHP 100,000, is intended for barangay development and public safety projects, while the remaining PHP 100,000 is earmarked for educational assistance.

The program guidelines provide PHP 20,000 each for five incoming fourth-year college students in every barangay.

If a barangay has too few or no incoming fourth-year students, incoming third-year students may qualify instead.

Priority goes to students from low-income households, particularly families that have yet to produce a college graduate.

Students enrolled in private higher education institutions and in state universities and colleges are eligible, provided they meet the program’s qualifications.

Because the guidelines do not explicitly prohibit dividing the PHP 100,000 educational allocation among more than five beneficiaries, several barangays chose to spread the funds across all eligible incoming fourth-year students rather than limit the aid to five recipients.

Students and parents reportedly welcomed the arrangement.

Other barangays, meanwhile, have drawn complaints over the alleged lack of transparency in the selection process, including the absence of public announcements about the screening of beneficiaries.

The Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program is a national initiative that funds community development projects and educational assistance through allocations released to qualified barangays.

Its educational component aims to help financially disadvantaged students complete college.

Nationwide, the program covers roughly 42,000 barangays and is funded through the Socio-Civic Projects Fund of the Office of the President.

The Marcos administration has said it aims to support more than 200,000 college students, each receiving PHP 20,000 in one-time educational assistance.

The ceremonial turnover of checks is scheduled during the 2026 Iloilo Liga Day on July 19 at the Iloilo Sports Complex.

Debuque said, however, that about 200 barangays in the province will not immediately receive their grants because of unliquidated funds from previous government releases.

She said around 40% of the affected barangays are already processing the documents needed to complete their liquidation and will receive their grants once they comply.

She added that the Provincial Accounting Office has received the documentary requirements of most recipients for fund release, while four to five municipalities have completed all requirements set by the provincial government.