The Mabalacat City Government, led by Mayor Crisostomo Garbo, extended educational-financial assistance to some 46 solo parents of the city, which they can use to finance the schooling of their children.

The cash assistance was distributed by Mayor Garbo and City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) Head Josie Basilio Tanglao during a ceremony held on January 6, 2022, at the Jade Hall in Xevera Mabalacat.

According to the city mayor, the program is part of the local government’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), which is aimed to cascade support and protective services such as educational, food, and medical assistance to vulnerable Mabalaqueños.

Each beneficiary received an amount of P5,000. The CSWDO said that the program gives priority to indigent families under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), families belonging to the informal sector, and the marginalized.

“Binuo natin ang iba’t-ibang social assistance programs ng siyudad upang maging kaagapay ng bawat Mabalaqueño sa kanilang pamumuhay. Sa ganitong mga pamamaraan, ramdam ng ating mga kababayan ang pagkalinga at pag-antabay ng pamahalaan dahil tiwala tayo na kaya nilang lampasan ang anumang dagok na kanilang kinakaharap sa buhay,” said Mayor Garbo.

“Maraming nagsasabi na ‘sana all’, ang sa akin naman, ‘pwede naman all’ basta mag-apply at kwalipikado sa ilalim ng programa. Makipag-ugnayan lamang sa ating mga Sangguniang Barangay o kaya naman ay sa ating CSWDO o sa City Social Assistance Office. Ang lahat ng mga aplikante ay dumadaan sa masusing profiling at case study bago makatanggap ng assistance mula sa lokal na pamahalaan,” the city mayor added.

Under Mayor Garbo’s helm, Mabalacat City has cemented its identity as a benchmark of social services programs having been recognized by various institutions and national government agencies such as the Commission on Population (POPCOM), the National Nutrition Council (NNC), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).