More than 1,500 students from two towns in Albay province received PHP3,000 each in financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) over the weekend.

Senator Imee Marcos led the distribution of the cash aid given under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.

“The beneficiaries were senior high school and college students from Daraga and Camalig towns. They are from vulnerable sectors of the community and the assistance is to augment their educational needs or expenses especially now that inflation is very noticeable,” Jastine Joy Escuro, DSWD-Bicol AICS information officer, said in an interview on Monday.

Escuro said DSWD continues to provide assistance to those who are qualified under the requirements set by the agency.

“Education is a right, and every student should have the opportunity to fulfill their goals in school without any humiliation. Through educational assistance under the AICS program, DSWD aims to support students in crisis to overcome every test they will face in their studies,” she added.

In a social media post, Camalig Mayor Carlos Irwin Baldo Jr. thanked the DSWD and Senator Marcos for the aid distribution.

After the payout, Marcos had a dialogue with the village leaders and Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons of the two towns and visited some tourist destinations in Albay. (PNA)