BACOLOD City — The Bacolod City Government has distributed a total of P12.2 million in Presidential Assistance to all 61 barangays, with each village receiving P200,000 for college scholarships and community development projects.
The financial assistance was distributed on August 27 at the Bacolod Government Center through the national government’s Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program, with Mayor Greg Gasataya and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) leading the turnover.
Under the program, half of each barangay’s allocation, or P100,000, will fund scholarships for five beneficiaries at P20,000 each, while the remaining P100,000 will be used for a community development project identified by the barangay.
Gasataya said the city required barangays to submit a certification stating that their chosen scholarship beneficiaries are not relatives of incumbent barangay officials.
“As we released the Presidential Assistance to our 61 barangays, we had only one request: make sure that it is used for those who are truly in need,” Gasataya said.
He said the certification is intended to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that the educational assistance reaches residents who genuinely need support.
“To ensure the proper implementation of the program, we have asked each Punong Barangay to submit a certification attesting that none of the scholarship beneficiaries is a relative of any barangay official,” he said.
The mayor said the assistance was sourced from the Office of the President through the Socio-Civic Projects Fund under the Local Government Support Fund.
DILG Bacolod City Director Christian Nagaynay, who attended the distribution, emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in implementing the program, pursuant to DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2026-38.
“Our goal here is to extend assistance to our beneficiaries, aligned with the policies of the DILG and the Office of the President. We need to make sure that accountability and transparency are always at the forefront,” Nagaynay said.
He added that barangays are required to publicly post information about the distribution of the assistance and submit fund utilization reports every 30 days for their community development projects.
Gasataya thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the national government for extending the assistance equally to all 61 barangays regardless of population and land area.
“We know the urgency and necessity of this program. This is the first time the national government has equally provided the LGSF to all barangays, regardless of population and size,” he said.
Among the barangays that have identified their project priorities were Villamonte and Pahanocoy, which both intend to use their P100,000 allocations to improve their information technology capabilities.
Barangay Villamonte Captain Rommel Flores said they conducted a screening and qualifying examination for scholarship applicants after posting the program announcement on social media.
He said the selection process was designed to identify deserving incoming and current college students.
“This assistance is a big help to the barangay as well as to the scholars in finishing their education,” Flores said.
The barangay plans to use its community development allocation to acquire office equipment, including computers and projectors.
Flores also said he informed barangay council members that they should not have personal involvement in the implementation of the scholarship program.
Meanwhile, Pahanocoy Barangay Captain Yolanda Noble said qualified applicants participated in a raffle following a flag ceremony to determine the beneficiaries.
The barangay also plans to purchase laptops and other equipment to improve service delivery and the management and protection of barangay records.
Gasataya said the city expects the barangays to ensure that the assistance is implemented according to program guidelines and reaches its intended beneficiaries./PN
