ILOILO — A ₱344-million funding package from the national government is set to benefit 1,721 barangays in Iloilo Province, with each village expected to receive ₱200,000 for college scholarships and community development projects ahead of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and Liga ng mga Barangay Iloilo Provincial Federation president Amalia Victoria Debuque discussed on Monday, May 18, the planned release of the financial assistance under the national government’s “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program.”
The Iloilo provincial government is targeting the release of the funds on July 19 during the Iloilo Provincial Liga ng mga Barangay Day.
Under the program, half of the ₱200,000 allocation, or ₱100,000 per barangay, will be earmarked for educational assistance for college students.
The program aims to support five college scholars per barangay, with each student receiving ₱20,000.
Priority beneficiaries include graduating or senior college students from low-income households, families affected by unemployment or underemployment, and households without a college graduate.
Students enrolled in both private and state universities and colleges are eligible for the assistance.
The remaining ₱100,000 may be utilized by barangays for small-scale but urgent community projects and equipment, including solar streetlights, CCTV cameras, patrol vehicles, disaster response equipment, office equipment, tents, monoblock chairs, and other disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and public service initiatives.
Provincial officials said the program is expected to create a broad impact across Iloilo, which has the largest number of barangays in the country.
Aside from easing the financial burden on students and parents, the assistance is also expected to help barangays improve frontline services and basic facilities through immediate community-based projects.
Gov. Defensor, Debuque, and selected members of the Provincial Finance Committee are scheduled to travel to Manila on May 28 to formalize the downloading of the funds from the national government to the Iloilo provincial government./PN
