Malacañang addressed concerns on Monday, April 27, regarding the perceived exclusion of several Batangas communities from the national government’s latest aid initiative, attributing the delay to administrative compliance rather than political discrimination.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that while 84 barangays in the 1st District of Batangas—as flagged by Representative Leandro Leviste—have yet to receive funds, they remain part of the “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” program.
The primary hurdle, according to Castro, is the failure of these local units to submit the necessary documentation required for the release of public funds.
Undersecretary Castro emphasized the importance of strict adherence to auditing rules to avoid future legal complications.
“Hindi po maaaring mabigyan agad-agad ng ayuda kapag walang dokumento dahil magiging subject ito sa COA report,” she explained.
The Palace official further assured local leaders that the distribution remains inclusive and urged officials to expedite their submissions instead of framing the delay as a political issue.
“Bawat bayan makikinabang, bawat barangay makikinabang, walang pinipiling kulay dito,” Castro added.
The program, which saw its initial rollout led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last Friday, April 24, has already benefited 1,078 barangays in the province. Each compliant barangay received ₱200,000 sourced from the Social Civic Projects Fund.
The grant is specifically earmarked for two primary purposes: ₱100,000 for education-related assistance and the remaining ₱100,000 for priority community projects.
In addition to the financial grants, the administration conducted a massive rice distribution under the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program.
Approximately 235,000 beneficiaries are slated to receive 10 kilograms of rice, a provision that will be repeated up to six times within the year.