San Jose de Buenavista - The Antique provincial government has disbursed PHP96 million in educational assistance to approximately 15,000 college and graduate students.
According to Philippines News Agency, head of the Provincial Youth Development Office (PYDO), the funds were distributed through the "PYDO on Wheels" program, which visits each of the 18 municipalities according to a set schedule to provide the assistance. In an interview on Wednesday, Manlapaz noted that while nearly 20,000 students applied for the aid, about 4,000, primarily from Sibalom, Hamtic, Libertad, and Pandan, are still awaiting their disbursements. The delays are mostly due to late document submissions, and the office aims to complete the distribution by the end of this month or early June.
Each recipient, both from college and graduate schools, receives PHP6,000 as a one-time assistance for the school year 2023-2024. Manlapaz also mentioned that there are no stringent requirements on how the assistance should be spent, suggesting that students might share it with their families if needed. This sentiment was echoed by Antique Governor Rhodora J. Cadiao, who encouraged students to consider their families' needs when utilizing the funds.