DAVAO CITY – At least 1,600 students in North Cotabato received bicycles from the provincial government under its youth empowerment program dubbed “Padyak para sa Pangarap.”
GOV. Emmylou ‘Lala’ Taliño-Mendoza speaks to bicycle recipients in Kabacan, North Cotabato during the turnover ceremony on December 28. (Provincial government photo)
The program is implemented by the Provincial Governor's Office-Provincial Youth Development Division (PGO-PYDD) in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd)-Cotabato in support of poor but deserving students in the province.
The provincial government has allocated P13,966,560 for 1,647 bicycles for select Grades 8, 9, and 10 students.
The provincial government has distributed about 1,400 bicycles in towns of Alamada, Aleosan, Antipas, Carmen, Kabacan, Libungan, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, Midsayap, Mlang, Pigcawayan, and President Roxas, and Kidapawan City as of December 28.
Distribution of bicycles started on December 23 and set to be completed on December 30.
Students thanked the provincial government for the bicycles.
“The bicycle is a big help to students like us, especially that we need to walk to our school every day,” said 14-year-old Noella Lacorte Dejada from M’lang.
Gov. Emmylou "Lala" Taliño-Mendoza said the project aims to motivate select students who have the intellectual ability but lack the financial capability to sustain their studies.
Mendoza said these bicycles would serve as the mobility solution of students who have to spend daily fares in going to school.
The governor emphasized that poverty is not the reason for the students to quit schooling, adding that they should take this as a challenge to excel in their studies to uplift their lives.
“You are the hope of your parents. We hope that these bicycles will be an instrument for you to be able to excel in your studies. You take care of these bicycles because this is from the taxes of your parents,” Mendoza told the students in one of the turnover ceremonies.