Batangas City, Batangas - The Batangas provincial government has distributed almost PHP5 million in educational assistance to 1,267 'maintainer scholars' from November 13 to 20. This initiative is part of the province's commitment to supporting the education of local students.
According to Philippines News Agency, Governor Hermilando Mandanas stated that the provincial government currently supports over 44,000 Batangueño scholars, boasting one of the highest, if not the highest, educational assistance funding in the country. Since 2020, approximately 15,000 students from the pool of maintainer scholars have graduated annually. Maintainer scholars are students whose educational expenses are subsidized by the provincial government. Mandanas emphasized the province's dedication to improving local services, particularly in education, to enhance the lives of Filipinos and secure a better future for the youth. Additionally, senior citizens, persons with disability (PWD), child development workers (CDW), barangay nutrition scholars (BNS), and barangay health workers (BHW) have begun receiving their honorariums, Christmas gifts, and raffle prizes. The capitol has also distributed new laptops and other equipment to barangay health officials, and has provided financial and material assistance for various barangay projects. These efforts are supported by additional funds made available through the Supreme Court's Mandanas-Garcia ruling, which allocates a larger share of taxes collected by national government agencies to local governments. Governor Mandanas, also serving as the Calabarzon Regional Development Council (RDC) chairperson, noted that this ruling enhances the local government's capacity to meet the needs of its constituents. In recognition of his efforts, Mandanas was awarded 'Man of the Year' at the Asia Leaders Awards 2023 held at the Manila Hotel.