IBA, Zambales — The provincial government continues to address the need for inclusive education under Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.’s “Handog Edukasyon” project, one of the cornerstones of his administration’s program to empower residents and build a sustainable community.

Emphasizing education as a catalyst for community development and a game-changer for residents to improve their lot and to stand on their own, the project is implemented under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), as well as with funding support from some lawmakers.

Recent records indicate that in just over a month, the Handog Edukasyon project provided cash assistance to a total of 22,291 students in various colleges and tertiary schools across the province.

The beneficiaries were college students from the first to fourth years in 14 schools from Subic to Candelaria towns, with the majority coming for the President Ramon Magsaysay State University (PRMSU) campus in Iba.

These included 788 students from the Technological College of San Felipe and 250 students from PRMSU-Candelaria, who received educational assistance on Sept. 23; 656 students from PRMSU-Castillejos on Sept. 24; 1,308 students of the Northern Zambales College on Sept. 25; and 1,132 students at PRMSU-San Marcelino and the GIS Institute of Technology in San Marcelino on Sept. 30.

For October, the Handog Edukasyon project first reached out to 1,584 first year students at PRMSU-Iba on Oct. 9, following it up with 1,424 beneficiaries from the same school on Oct. 10. The next day, Oct. 11, the program benefited 1,154 more beneficiaries from PRMSU-Iba, as well as Micro Asia College of Science and Technology (MACSAT), and scholars under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Meanwhile, second, third, and fourth-year students at PRMSU-Iba received their assistance starting Oct. 14, with 1,531 beneficiaries; on Oct. 15, with 1,516 recipients; Oct. 16 with 1,855; and Oct. 18 with 870 beneficiaries. A total of 255 first to fourth-year students at the Magsaysay Memorial College of Zambales in San Narciso received their cash envelopes on Oct. 17.

For the rest of the month, the Handog Edukasyon staff distributed assistance as follows: for 2,076 first year students at the Kolehiyo ng Subic (KNS) on Oct. 21; 2,063 second and third-year students on Oct. 22; and 1,040 third and fourth-year KNS students on Oct. 28.

Finally, educational assistance was given to 1,510 students at the Lyceum of Western Luzon-Botolan on Oct. 28; followed by 1,279 students at the Polytechnic College of Botolan on Oct. 29. – Taktikom News & Features