Malacañang has urged the public to report any abuse or irregularity in the selection of Presidential Scholarship Program beneficiaries.

Complaints involving the scholarship program may be reported to the Liga ng mga Barangay national office, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), or the Office of the President (OP), Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

“Ang mga ganyang klaseng reklamo ay wine-welcome natin at tinatanggap natin dahil kailangan talaga ng ayudang ibinibigay ng Pangulo at ng pamahalaan at ng local government units natin ay makarating sa tama (We welcome those kinds of complaints because the assistance provided by the President and the government to the local government units should reached the right people),” Castro said in a Palace briefing on Monday, Aug. 17.

Castro made the statement when asked about a social media post involving the child of a barangay official who reportedly received a scholarship under the program.

She, however, cautioned against immediately judging the beneficiary, noting that relatives of barangay officials are not automatically disqualified from receiving assistance as long as they meet the program’s requirements.

“Basta deserving at kailangan iyong kanyang requirements bilang deserving student ay naabot. So, iyon lang po naman ang gusto ng Pangulo (As long as they are deserving and the requirements are met. So, that's what the President wants,)” Castro said.

The Palace official said the government has mechanisms in place to screen and select qualified beneficiaries.

Under the program’s criteria, beneficiaries must be graduating college students who are at risk of dropping out due to financial difficulties.

Castro said scholars are selected by barangay officials together with the Sangguniang Barangay’s education committee. The OP implements the program in coordination with the Liga ng mga Barangay national office and the DILG.

She stressed that the President wants the scholarship program to reach deserving students across the country, particularly those in remote communities who want to finish their education but lack the financial means to do so.

On Monday, Marcos was in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental to distribute government assistance, including the fund for President scholarship program.