President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said his administration is relying on local government units (LGUs) to distribute rice assistance, saying local officials are better equipped to identify beneficiaries and deliver aid more quickly than the national government.
Speaking in Tarlac, Marcos said the government has restructured the implementation of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) by giving LGUs a larger role in identifying recipients of the administration’s rice assistance program.
According to the president, requiring the national government to identify beneficiaries, conduct surveys, secure approvals and deploy personnel for distribution would slow the release of assistance.
‘If we rely on the national government to do it… it will take a very long time,’ Marcos said in his speech.
He noted that local officials already maintain updated lists of residents who need assistance.
‘The list of beneficiaries, the list of our countrymen who needs help and food, it’s already with them,’ he added.
Under the program, qualified beneficiaries will receive a 10-kilogram sack of rice every two months, or six times a year, Marcos said.
He added that the initiative was intended to help families cope with rising food costs, citing the impact of higher global oil prices brought about by tensions in the Middle East.
Marcos said 3,077 beneficiaries in Tarlac are covered by the program, while more than 1,200 LGU’s nationwide have already received funding under the LGSF. He added that some LGUs have already completed a second round of rice distribution.
He also announced a P200,000 allocation for each barangay. Of the amount, P100,000 will be set aside for a scholarship program, with each barangay selecting five students to receive P20,000 each.
The remaining P100,000 will be left to barangay officials, who may use the funds for projects they consider necessary in their communities.
The president said the scholarship component is intended for students who are at risk of not finishing their studies because of financial constraints