BY LEIF DAHL
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Gov. Jose “Jing” Gambito led the distribution of P12 million in educational assistance to 4,000 underprivileged students from different schools in the province at the Nueva Vizcaya Convention Center on Friday, November 3, 2023
Gambito said the students received P3,000 each from the funds of Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
As requested by Gambito from Senator Imee, the payout was given to secondary and college students through the AICS after the students whose applications were processed and approved and were qualified by the DSWD under the said program.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development headed by Flordelina Granada assisted the DSWD in processing applications for financial assistance to qualified students.
Gambito along with former board member Efren Quiben who represented the senator, DSWD representatives, provincial government officials and employees, and board members led the distribution of the payout to students.
Gambito said many students, particularly from the public schools, have been requesting educational assistance from the office of the governor.
“Due to lack of resources, we requested the office of Senator Imee Marcos to help our underprivileged students in the province, which she immediately granted,” he said.
Gambito said other students from the province were not included in the DSWD’s AICS program and that the provincial government would be providing for them instead.
“We shall be allocating from our funds to accommodate over 400 more students who were not able to avail from the AICS program payout,” he said.
The PSWD and DSWD said students who availed of the program belong to low-income families. LCD, VJV