BY MARY JOY CAVAÑAS
ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed educational cash assistance to 2,000 student beneficiaries of West Visayas State University (WVSU).
The distribution of P5,000 to each recipient was held at the WVSU main campus in La Paz district on Friday, Nov. 10.
Of the 2,000 beneficiaries, 1,000 were from the main campus and another 1,000 came from the extension campuses in Calinog, Lambunao, Pototan, and Janiuay in Iloilo and Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental.
Even though education is free, students still face challenges due to fare increase and other school miscellaneous fees, according to Sen. Imee Marcos who facilitated the fund request from the DSWD to help the students.
“Sabi ko sa kanila gamitin nang maigi ang kanilang pera. Huwag naman sayangin ‘yung P5,000. Malapit na ‘yung Pasko, huwag naman gastuhin lahat sa Pasko kundi gamitin para sa kanilang pangangailangan sa pamasahe, kanilang mga gadgets… Hindi pang-Facebook at Tiktok,” she said.
The senator further encouraged the student beneficiaries to finish their studies.
“That’s all we’re asking, they should finish and graduate, that’s the aspiration of every Ilonggo family. Just like every Ilocano family, we don’t have very high ambitions, makapagtapos lang ang anak, makapagtrabaho nang maayos at tulungan ang pamilya,” she added.
Aside from WVSU, Marcos said they are eyeing more students from other state universities across Western Visayas to receive the same educational assistance./PN
