1,600 students in North Cotabato receive bicycles from provincial government
The provincial government of North Cotabato has distributed bicycles to at least 1,600 students as part of its youth empowerment program called “Padyak para sa Pangarap”. The program, implemented by the Provincial Governor’s Office-Provincial Youth Development Division (PGO-PYDD) in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Cotabato, aims to support poor but deserving students in the province.
A total of 1,647 bicycles, amounting to P13,966,560, were allocated by the provincial government for select Grades 8, 9, and 10 students. The distribution of bicycles started on December 23 and is set to be completed on December 30. As of December 28, around 1,400 bicycles have been distributed in various towns and cities in North Cotabato.
Province Governor, Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza, expressed that the project aims to motivate select students who have the intellectual ability but lack the financial capability to sustain their studies. She emphasized that poverty should not be a reason for students to quit schooling and encouraged them to excel in their studies to uplift their lives.
Students who received the bicycles expressed their gratitude, acknowledging the assistance it provides in their daily school commute. Mendoza reminded the students to take care of the bicycles as they are from the taxes of their parents and are intended to help them excel in their studies.
