President Marcos distributes cash assistance in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos distributed P200,000 in cash assistance to each barangay in Batangas yesterday, to support local projects including scholarship programs.

More than 1,000 barangays received the assistance while over 235,000 residents were given 10 kilos of rice each under the government’s Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program.

“Of the P200,000 that each barangay received, P100,000 will be used for education, for scholars who will become presidental scholars,” Marcos said.

Each scholar will receive P20,000 each, he said.

Five deserving students will be selected in each barangay to ensure that they will finish their course and graduate.

The rest of the cash assistance will be used for capital outlay projects such as procurement of essential equipment including patrol vehicles, computer sets, printers, tents and other tools.

The assistance will also be used for projects that will improve security services such as installation of streetlights and closed-circuit television cameras. 

“Whatever wealth the national government has should not be left on the top, but must be distributed down to the grassroots level,” Marcos said.

The fund for the barangay cash assistance was sourced from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund, which is being administered by the Office of the Executive Secretary.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and his wife, Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, joined Marcos during the aid distribution.

Recto said the initiative is being implemented across the country.

He debunked claims by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste that there were 84 barangays that did not receive the cash assistance.

“That’s expected from him. He is politicizing the event,” Recto said.

In a post on social media, Leviste urged Marcos to include the 84 barangays in the distribution of cash assistance.