Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto on Friday led the simultaneous rollout of two major national assistance programs in Negros Oriental — releasing ₱200,000 checks to all 557 barangays in the province and launching the first phase of a rice distribution effort targeting more than 379,000 families — as House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III opened the Visayas leg of the chamber's LegisHear consultations at Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City.
₱111.4 Million Released to All 557 Barangays
The Office of the Executive Secretary's event, which began at 10 a.m., covered the release of ₱200,000 in financial assistance to each of the province's 557 barangays, coursed through six cities and 19 municipalities. At that rate, the provincial total reaches ₱111.4 million, according to the OES.
Under national guidelines for the Socio-Civic Projects Fund, half of each barangay's allocation — ₱100,000 — goes to locally identified development priorities, including public service and office equipment, streetlighting, and disaster risk reduction. The remaining half funds five Bagong Pilipinas Barangay Scholars per barangay at ₱20,000 each.
2,785 Students to Receive ₱20,000 Educational Grants
One hundred Presidential Scholars attended Friday's event as representatives of 2,785 students across Negros Oriental who will each receive ₱20,000 in educational assistance, for a provincial total of ₱55.7 million, the OES reported.
There is no national online application portal for the scholarship program. Barangays conduct their own scholar selection, and the Palace has warned the public that fake application links have circulated online.
Rice Aid Targets 379,000 Provincial Families
The same event gathered 1,776 beneficiaries from the labor, fisherfolk, urban poor, and senior citizen sectors for the opening phase of the Bagong Pilipinas Rice Distribution program. Each qualifying family is entitled to 10 kilos of rice, and the OES said the distribution will eventually extend to more than 379,000 family beneficiaries across the province.
The OES framed the rollout as support for communities continuing to feel the effects of the southwest monsoon, describing the rice distribution as especially timely during a period when additional assistance is most needed.
National Program Already Past ₱1.59 Billion in Releases
Nationwide, the Palace reported in mid-May that the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program had already released ₱200,000 checks to 7,933 barangays, totaling ₱1.59 billion. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has said he intends to seek a larger allocation for the fund in the 2027 national budget if implementation continues on track.
Speaker Dy Brings LegisHear to NORSU
Separately, House Speaker Dy led the Visayas leg of "LegisHear: Bawat Batas Mahalaga" at NORSU from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday. A press conference at the university's audio-visual room preceded a town hall with Dumaguete youth at the NORSU Gymnasium. House Secretary General Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil joined the Speaker at the event.
LegisHear is a flagship program of Speaker Dy and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos designed to gather citizen input on pending legislation, evaluate how existing laws are being implemented, and deliver frontline government services on site. The initiative grew out of the House's nationwide consultations for the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act.
Dumaguete is the third stop nationwide. The program launched at Isabela State University in Echague on July 31 for Luzon, then ran at Caraga State University in Butuan City on August 7 and 8 for Mindanao. Insights gathered from town halls and focus group discussions are to be consolidated into policy recommendations for the House.
Next Steps for Barangays and Beneficiaries
For barangay officials, the ₱200,000 release shifts responsibility to documentation, liquidation at the local level, and the selection of the five scholars each barangay is entitled to support. For the rice program, Friday's 1,776 recipients represent only the opening phase of a distribution the OES says will eventually reach the full 379,000 qualifying families across the province.
By the Numbers
- ₱200,000 — financial assistance released to each of Negros Oriental's 557 barangays
- ₱111.4 million — total provincial release under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang program
- 557 — total barangays covered, spread across 6 cities and 19 municipalities
- 2,785 — Bagong Pilipinas Barangay Scholars across Negros Oriental, each receiving ₱20,000
- ₱55.7 million — total educational assistance for provincial scholars
- 379,000+ — family beneficiaries targeted by the provincial rice distribution
- 10 kilos — rice allocation per qualifying family
- 1,776 — beneficiaries who received rice aid in Friday's opening phase
- 7,933 — barangays that have received checks nationally as of mid-May, totaling ₱1.59 billion
Why This Matters
The simultaneous release of ₱111.4 million in barangay funds and the launch of a rice distribution program for more than 379,000 families represents one of the largest single-day delivery of national assistance to Negros Oriental in recent memory, touching every barangay in the province. The scholarship component will place ₱55.7 million directly into the hands of 2,785 students, with selection managed at the barangay level — raising the stakes for transparent local implementation. The LegisHear consultation at NORSU adds a legislative dimension to the day, with citizen inputs from Dumaguete set to inform House policy recommendations alongside those gathered from Luzon and Mindanao.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Office of the Executive Secretary