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Malacañang on Monday urged the public to report any abuse or irregularity in the selection of beneficiaries under the Presidential Scholarship Program, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s educational aid initiative.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said complaints may be filed with the Liga ng mga Barangay national office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the PCO, or the Office of the President (OP).
“Ang mga ganiyang klaseng reklamo ay wine-welcome natin at tinatanggap natin dahil kailangan talaga ng ayudang ibinibigay ng Pangulo at ng pamahalaan at ng local government units natin ay makarating sa tama,” Castro said in a press briefing.
(We welcome and accept these kinds of complaints because the assistance provided by the President, the government, and our local government units must reach the right beneficiaries.)
She stressed that the government welcomes complaints to ensure that assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Castro issued the statement when asked about a social media post about the child of a barangay official who reportedly received a scholarship under the program.
However, she cautioned against making a judgment on the beneficiary, noting that relatives of barangay officials are not automatically disqualified from receiving the aid as long as they meet the program’s requirements.
“Basta deserving at kailangan iyong kaniyang requirements bilang deserving student ay naabot. So, iyon lang po naman ang gusto ng Pangulo,” Castro said.
(As long as the student is deserving and meets the requirements to qualify as a deserving student, that’s all the President wants.)
Castro said mechanisms are in place to select the qualified beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries must be graduating college students who are at risk of dropping out due to financial difficulties, according to the program’s criteria.
Scholars are selected by barangay officials together with the Sangguniang Barangay’s education committee. The OP implements the program in coordination with the Liga ng mga Barangay national office and the DILG.
Castro said the President wants the scholarship program to reach deserving students across the country, particularly those in remote communities. —LDF, GMA News
