President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the distribution of P200,000 financial assistance to 1,078 barangays of Batangas province, as part of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

The ceremonial distribution was part of the formal launch of “Sa Batangas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” Program at the Batangas Province Events Center (BPEC), Brgy. Bolbok, Batangas, on Friday.

Representatives of the Barangay League from 34 towns and cities will receive the financial support.

Half of this P200,000 fund given to the barangays, or P100,000, is earmarked for capital outlay projects such as the purchase of essential equipment—including patrol vehicles, computer sets, printers, tents, and other tools—as well as projects that will improve security and services such as streetlights and CCTV installations.
The remaining P100,000 will be allocated for five “Presidential Scholars” in each barangay, where each student will receive P20,000 in educational assistance - a concrete step towards the goal of “zero illiteracy, one barangay at a time.”
The fund comes from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF), administered by the Office of the Executive Secretary under the Office of the President, to provide a rapid, immediate response to community needs and to continuously implement development projects.
“Unang-una, yun sa LGSF yun ginawa po namin magbibigay kami ng pondo sa LGUs. At hindi po natin makakalimutan ang barangay,” said President Marcos, who cited the work of the local government and the barangays.
The President said that no matter how good the national government program is, if local government units do not implement it properly in their respective areas, the benefits will not be felt by the public.
Beyond immediate aid, the program also strengthens food security and supports the livelihoods of local farmers - a step towards a stronger and more sustainable economy in the province.
Beneficiaries of the program include farmers, fisherfolk, and teachers from the public and private sectors, and other sectors that truly need immediate support.
President Marcos, who also led a rice distribution,  said under the rice subsidy program, each beneficiary will receive 10 kilos of rice, and will receive this regularly six times a year.
The program aims to ease the financial burden on Batangueño families amid ongoing price increases in basic commodities and the global market's fluctuations.
More than 235,000 Batangueño beneficiaries received the rice subsidy, according to the Batangas local government in a statement.

Approximately P15 billion in funds for rice subsidy have been distributed under the LGSF in various parts of the country. (RAFFY AYENG)