Supporting Deserving College Students
BACOLOD - Each of the 61 barangays will receive PHP200,000 under the initiative, with PHP100,000 allocated for five Presidential Scholars. Each selected college student will receive PHP20,000 to help support educational expenses. The program provides additional assistance to deserving students while giving barangays a direct role in identifying beneficiaries who meet the program's requirements. The financial support can help students manage some of the costs associated with pursuing higher education, including school-related needs and other necessary expenses. By extending assistance through the barangays, the city can also bring educational support closer to communities and students who may need additional help. The initiative highlights the importance of investing in students as part of efforts to expand access to education and create opportunities for young Bacolodnons.
Funding Community Development Projects
The remaining PHP100,000 provided to each barangay will be used for a selected community development project. This approach allows the assistance to benefit not only individual students but also the wider community through projects identified at the barangay level. With funding directed to both education and community development, the initiative combines support for young people with investments in local communities. The community projects can address needs identified within each barangay and provide residents with benefits beyond the scholarship assistance. Giving barangays a portion of the funding also encourages local officials and communities to participate in determining projects that can contribute to their development. Through this arrangement, the program seeks to create a balance between supporting individual educational goals and responding to broader community needs.
Ensuring Fair and Transparent Scholarship Selection
To help ensure that the scholarships reach students who genuinely need and qualify for assistance, Mayor Greg Gasataya required every Punong Barangay to submit a signed certification. The certification must confirm that none of the selected scholars is a family member or relative of any incumbent barangay official. The requirement promotes transparency and fairness in the distribution of scholarship assistance while strengthening accountability among barangay officials. It also establishes an additional safeguard in the selection process by requiring barangay leaders to formally certify the eligibility of their chosen beneficiaries. Such measures can help maintain public confidence in the program and ensure that educational assistance is distributed according to the intended criteria. By emphasizing accountability and impartiality, the city government reinforces its commitment to making public assistance accessible to deserving students across the 61 barangays.
