Iloilo students to get PHP 20,000 aid

By Mariela Angella Oladive

More than 8,000 graduating college students in Iloilo province are set to receive PHP 20,000 each in educational assistance under the national government’s “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” initiative.

The program is funded through the Office of the President’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund.

During its May 19 session, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. to sign the deed of donation between the province of Iloilo and the Office of the President for the implementation of the program.

Under the initiative, each of the province’s 1,721 barangays will receive PHP 200,000 in assistance.

Half of the amount, or PHP 100,000 per barangay, will be allotted for educational assistance for five deserving tertiary students.

Each beneficiary will receive PHP 20,000, potentially benefiting 8,605 students across the province.

Liga ng mga Barangay Provincial Federation President Amalia Victoria Debuque said the program will prioritize incoming fourth-year college students to help those nearing graduation complete their studies.

“If there are no qualified incoming fourth-year students in a barangay, incoming third-year college students may also be considered,” she said in a separate interview.

Priority beneficiaries include students from low-income families, households affected by unemployment or underemployment, and families without a college graduate.

The assistance is open to students enrolled in private and state universities and colleges.

Debuque also appealed to barangay officials to ensure fairness in selecting beneficiaries and to keep politics out of the program’s implementation.

“We trust that barangay officials will practice fairness,” she said.

Meanwhile, the remaining PHP 100,000 per barangay will fund community projects and equipment, such as solar streetlights, CCTV cameras, patrol vehicles, generators, flood pumps, office equipment, and disaster response tools.

The provincial government is targeting July 19, during the Iloilo Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay Day, for the release of the funds ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address on July 27.