ILOILO City — The national government is pouring P344.2 million in direct assistance into Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays, while more than 83,000 Ilonggo families are targeted to receive recurring rice aid, as Malacañang moves to bring government support directly to communities across the province.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto led the rollout of the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Assistance and Bagong Pilipinas Rice Distribution programs in Iloilo on Tuesday, August 25, underscoring an assistance package that combines household food support with funding for grassroots projects.
Under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF), the national government allocated P344.2 million for Iloilo’s 1,721 barangays, with barangays nationwide receiving P200,000 each for community projects.
Recto said it was the first time the national government provided the P200,000 assistance to more than 40,000 barangays nationwide, recognizing the role of barangay governments in responding to everyday community problems.
The Executive Secretary first visited Pavia, Iloilo, where 1,500 families from various sectors received rice. They are among the 83,000 families in Iloilo Province covered by the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Distribution program.
Recto said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. wants Filipinos not merely to read or hear about government programs but to actually feel and benefit from them.
Under the program, the national government, in partnership with local government units and provincial and city governments, will distribute 10 kilos of rice to beneficiaries.
“Hindi po ito one time, big time. Halos kada dalawang buwang ang bigayan. Isa lang po ito sa maraming programa ng Pangulo para matiyak na walang Pilipino ang magugutom. Dito sa probinsya ng Iloilo, mahigit 80,000 pamilya ang tutulungan natin na magkaroon ng may isasaing at mahahain sa hapag kainan. Sa buong Pilipinas, ang makinabang po ay halos eight million families,” Recto said.
The rice distributed to Ilonggo families was purchased from local farmers in Iloilo, allowing the program to simultaneously provide food assistance to households and income to the province’s agricultural sector.
“Kumbaga, ang ani ng Ilonggo para sa kapwa Ilonggo. Ngunit malinaw sa atin na hindi ayuda lang ang sagot sa kahirapan. Ang bigas ay tulong para sa inyo, ang trabaho, magandang kita at mas maraming oportunidad ang sagot para sa kinabukasan. ‘Yan po ang tinututukan ng ating mahal na Pangulo,” Recto said.
He also announced that the national government intends to increase the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) next year, potentially providing local government units with additional resources for local development initiatives.
“Sisikapin nating magkaroon ng mas magandang kinabukasan ang bwat Ilonggo dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, walang pamilyang dapat mapabayaan. Bawat Ilonggo ay makikinabang, bawat Pilipino ay aasenso,” he added.
At the Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao district, Recto also led the turnover of P200,000 checks to 43 mayors and Liga ng mga Barangay presidents under the SCPF and attended the Presidential Scholars Orientation.
Addressing 250 selected scholars under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program, Recto encouraged them to finish their education and pursue their aspirations.
“Naway maging inspiration ito para tapusin ninyo ang pag-aaral. Abutin ninyo ang inyong pangarap,” he said.
Recto later attended the League of Municipalities of the Philippines–Luzon National Congress, also at the Iloilo Convention Center, where he delivered the keynote address and presented the Island Cluster Output and Presidential Action Agenda and LGSF-Special Allotment Release Order distribution for Luzon municipalities.
His visit formed part of the administration’s effort to deliver government assistance and development support directly to families, sectors and barangays while strengthening cooperation between the national government and LGUs./PN
