Panay Island in the Visayas (Image from Google Maps)
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,500 students from provinces in Panay received P2,000 cash aid from a government scholarship program, said Speaker Martin Romualdez on Friday.
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The students, all from Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Guimaras, were granted financial aid under Integrated Scholarships and Incentives Program (ISIP) for the Youth, which was held at the West Visayas State University Medical Center Cultural Center.
The said program targets tertiary and technical-vocational education students, as well as those enrolled under the Alternative Learning System.
“Ang pag-aaral po, maging college man o vocational, ang isa sa pinakamabisang sandata na maaari nating ibigay sa ating mga kabataan na magagamit nila sa pagharap nila sa hamon ng buhay. Bilang isang ama at isa ring negosyante, naniniwala po tayo na ang edukasyon ang ating susi sa tagumpay,” Romualdez said in a speech during the event.
(Education, be it college or vocational, is one of the most effective weapons we can give our young people that they can use to face life’s challenges. As a father and also a businessman, we believe that education is our key to success.)
Each of the 1,500 beneficiaries in the Panay provinces, coming from some 32 educational institutions, received P2,000 in cash aid through the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
Aside from the cash aid, the student beneficiaries also have assured slots under the Government Internship Program after graduation, and their unemployed parents or guardians may also be enrolled in the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program.
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“Hindi lang kayong mga mag-aaral ang mabibigyan ng tulong, pati ang inyong mga magulang. Dahil holistic ang approach ng ating pamahalaan sa pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan. Kaya sana ay lahat kayo ay magsipagtapos at abutin ninyo ang inyong mga pangarap,” Speaker Romualdez said.
(Not only your students will be given help, but also your parents. Because our government’s approach to helping those in need is holistic. So I hope you all graduate and achieve your dreams.)