Around 300 of the 557 barangays in Negros Oriental have received PHP200,000 in assistance from the Office of the President for scholarship and community projects under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program (BBMP), a provincial official said Monday.
Shaquille Teves, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Negros Oriental and ex-officio member of the Provincial Board, said in an interview that about 300 barangays received the assistance during the initial rollout on Aug. 14.
“Last Friday, the checks were already distributed to around 300 barangays, as the remaining barangays have requirements to fill out and comply with,” said Teves, who is also the barangay chairperson of Bong-ao in Valencia.
He said the funds have already been downloaded to the provincial government and will be released to the remaining 257 barangays once they complete the requirements.
The BBMP is a national government initiative that provides PHP200,000 to each barangay nationwide through the Office of the President’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund.
Of the PHP200,000 allocation, PHP100,000 will fund scholarships for five barangay scholars, while the remaining PHP100,000 will be used for community projects.
Each scholar will receive PHP20,000 to help cover tuition, research expenses, school fees and other educational needs.
Teves said some barangays have used their allocations to purchase monobloc chairs, while others have identified projects based on their respective community needs.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial distribution of scholarship checks during his visit to Negros Oriental on Monday.
A total of 250 scholars from Valencia, Bacong, and Dumaguete City received PHP20,000 each during the turnover ceremony at the Barangay Talay gymnasium in Dumaguete City.
Among the beneficiaries were Presidential Scholars Klyde Paco, 23, a graduating student of Negros Oriental State University, and Ella Mae Rusiana, 21, a graduating student of Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria.
The two scholars thanked the President for the educational assistance, saying the financial support would help defray their tuition, research expenses, and other school requirements.
In his message, Marcos encouraged the scholars to use the opportunity to finish their studies, emphasizing the long-term value of education.
“Dahil ang pag-aaral ay ibang klaseng biyaya ‘yan. At ito, ang pag-aaral, ‘pag maganda ang inyong training, kapag maganda napag-aaralan ninyo, ang kaalaman ninyo na makukuha ninyo sa magandang pag-aaral, ‘yan ay yaman na sa inyo na talaga ‘yan (Because education is a different kind of blessing. And this, education — when you have good training, when you learn well, the knowledge you gain from a good education — that is wealth that is truly yours),” the President said. (PNA)
