At least 4,000 students in Zambales have received financial aid and scholarships under the trailblazing social service program Integrated Scholarships and Incentives Program (ISIP) for the youth as enunciated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
At the same time, the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was rolled out over the weekend in Zambales, involving P500 million in cash aid, livelihood packages, scholarships, and several other government programs targeting some 80,000 people in the province.
The ISIP program was an initiative of the Office of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in partnership with concerned government departments as part of the President’s dedication to boost the education sector, aims to assist disadvantaged students.
It was launched on Saturday at the SMX Convention Center in Olongapo City.
“We are rolling out this program to give life to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to help qualified Filipino students who are financially incapable of paying for quality education. Last year, we launched it in Iloilo. We are now focused in Zambales,” Romualdez said.
The program targets impoverished tertiary and vocational students who will receive financial assistance every six months through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to cover tuition and other educational expenses.
Each of the 4,000 students in Zambales will receive P2,000 in financial assistance from the DSWD.
The beneficiaries, to be enrolled under the Commission on Higher Education’s Tulong Dunong Program, would get scholarship subsidies of up to P15,000 per year.
“We do this so our children can reach for their dreams, graduate and become productive members of our communities, more than capable of contributing to nation-building. Ito ang hangarin ng ating Pangulo, at ito rin ang aming pangarap para sa ating mga kabataan (This is the objective of the President, and it is also our vision for the youth,” Romualdez said.
The ISIP is a financial assistance initiative for students in high school and those enrolled in alternative learning system, tertiary levels, and vocational schools.
Addressing the two-day BPSF event at the People’s Plaza in Botolan, Zambales, Romualdez said the Marcos administration is committed to the unhampered delivery of public services to the people.
“Ipapaabot natin ang pagmamahal ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa mga Zambaleños sa pamamagitan ng Serbisyo Caravan na ito. Dadalhin namin ang serbisyo ng pamahalaan sa inyo, tulad ng pangako ng ating mahal na Pangulo (We will bring the love of President Marcos to the Zambaleños through this Service Caravan. We will bring the government services to you, as our beloved President has promised),” Romualdez said in his keynote speech.
“When we started the Serbisyo Fair last year, we never imagined that it would be a resounding success like what we’ve seen in the provinces we’ve visited. Kaya patuloy natin itong gagawin sa mga susunod na buwan dahil nakikita natin ang direktang benepisyo nito sa mga mamamayan (That’s why we will continue the program in the coming months because we see its direct benefits to the people),” the Speaker said.
The Zambales BPSF is the 10th installment of the Serbisyo Caravan, aimed at covering all 82 provinces nationwide, and the first one in Central Luzon.
With 46 participating national government agencies, more than 170 services are being offered to an estimated 80,000 beneficiaries during the two-day affair.
A total of P500 million worth of programs and services have been brought to the province, including P154 million in cash assistance.
Among the services being offered is a province-wide payout of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) in all 13 towns in Zambales.
The project expects to provide 26,000 beneficiaries with P52 million in cash aid.
Other province-wide activities are various scholarship programs of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and livelihood assistance for various sectors in pre-identified eligible clients across Zambales under the programs of the Department of Labor and Employment.
On the first night of the Serbisyo Fair, a Pasasalamat Concert will also be held on Saturday at the Zambales Sports Complex in Iba, Zambales with free admission.
The concert is expected to draw at least is expected to draw some 35,000 local residents.