By Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday assured Filipinos that the government is continuously working to ease the burden of vulnerable sectors as he led the rollout of financial and rice assistance programs for barangays in Makati City.
Speaking during the “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang: Makati City” program at the Makati Coliseum, Marcos said the administration is maximizing government resources to strengthen coordination between the national and local governments and speed up the delivery of services to communities.
“Asahan po ninyo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay hindi po natutulog, hindi po nagbabakasyon kung hindi walang ginawa kung hindi mag-isip ng paraan kung ano ang pangangailangan ng taumbayan (Trust that your government is not sleeping, not taking vacations, and doing nothing but to think of ways to meet the needs of our people),” Marcos said.
“Huwag po kayong nag-aalala habang nandito po ang inyong pamahalaan. Nandito po ang gobyerno na nag-aalalay sa inyo, na tumutulong sa inyo (Don’t worry because your government is here. The government is here to support you, to help you),” he added.
The President said the administration has redirected the use of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to allow local government units to directly implement projects and assistance programs instead of relying solely on national agencies.
Marcos, a former Ilocos Norte governor, said stronger coordination with local governments would allow aid and services to reach beneficiaries faster.
Under the program, barangays in Makati City received financial assistance amounting to PHP200,000 each through the Socio-Civic Projects Fund.
Half of the allocation, or PHP100,000, will be used for scholarship assistance for five presidential scholars per barangay, with each scholar receiving PHP20,000.
The President said the initiative aims to help students who are at risk of dropping out due to financial constraints.
The administration also rolled out its rice assistance program under the LGSF, with beneficiaries receiving 10-kilo sacks of rice.
Marcos said the rice aid would not be a one-time distribution, noting that qualified beneficiaries would receive rice assistance six times a year, or once every two months.
The activity also included the presentation of barangay development equipment procured through the assistance program. (PNA)
