Dinagat Island’s 100 villages will receive a total of PHP20 million in financial assistance from the Office of the President (OP) to support scholarships and priority community development projects.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Dinagat Islands (DILG Dinagat) formally opened on Monday the “Bawat Barangay Makikinabang” Program, an initiative of the OP that provides PHP200,000 to each barangay.

Funded under the OP’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund, the assistance allocates PHP100,000 for scholarship grants for deserving students and another PHP100,000 for priority projects.

Dinagat Islands Governor Nilo Demerey Jr., DILG Dinagat officials and the province’s 100 barangay captains joined the program’s formal opening and turnover of the funds.

“This remarkable program reflects the President’s unwavering commitment to strengthening grassroots governance, empowering local leaders, and uplifting the lives of ordinary Filipinos right down to the community level,” DILG Dinagat said in a news release.

It said the allocation for priority barangay projects may be used for public service equipment, disaster risk reduction tools and community infrastructure.

In a message sent to the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday, Demerey thanked the OP for helping strengthen barangays across the province.

“This funding will directly benefit our barangays by opening more opportunities for deserving students while helping communities address their priority development needs,” Demerey said.

He said the financial support would also strengthen the capacity of barangays to deliver essential services and undertake projects that matter most to their communities.

“We are grateful to the Office of the President for ensuring that every barangay in Dinagat Islands benefits from this initiative,” Demerey said. (PNA)