MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the distribution of P8 billion meant to cushion the impact of hostilities in the Middle East in the grassroots level, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) announced on Thursday.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto noted that 42,000 villages nationwide would be receiving P200,000 under the administration’s “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” program for their educational, social, and economic projects.
The first batch of 5,000 villages received their allocation last March 24.
“Support will be provided directly to the barangays. The President ordered that they be strengthened because these frontliners are the closest to the people. They are the first to see a problem and they should also be the ones who have the ability to act immediately,” Recto said in Filipino.
Overseeing the implementation is Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) whose field offices must ensure that fund use will comply with public budgeting, accounting, and audit rules.
Grant distribution must be completed before June 2026 and all funds must be utilized by the end of the year, Recto noted.
