President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday assured the public that the government remains fully operational without rest to alleviate the financial struggles of ordinary Filipinos, leading the distribution of financial aid, scholarship grants, and rice assistance in Makati City.
Speaking at the Makati Coliseum before local officials and beneficiaries, Marcos emphasized that the administration is actively streamlining national and local government coordination to accelerate the delivery of essential public services.
“Asahan po ninyo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay hindi po natutulog, hindi nagbabakasyon,” the President said.
(“Rest assured that your government is not sleeping, is not on vacation.”)
To expedite aid delivery, Marcos announced a policy shift in the implementation of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). The revamp allows local government units to directly manage projects and aid distribution rather than relying on national agencies to oversee the logistics.
Drawing from his past experience as the governor of Ilocos Norte, the Chief Executive noted that local officials possess a superior understanding of their respective community needs, making them ideal administrators for efficient distribution.
Under the administration’s “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” initiative, every barangay in Makati City received ₱200,000 sourced from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund. Half of the allocated amount is strictly designated for education, enabling each barangay to sponsor five “Presidential Scholars” with ₱20,000 each in financial aid. Marcos encouraged the student recipients to maximize the opportunity and complete their education.
In addition to educational grants, beneficiaries received 10-kilogram sacks of rice through the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Program. Marcos concluded by guaranteeing that the rice distribution is not a one-time event and will continue every two months.