By Noel Y. Punzalan and Edwin O. fernandez
KIDAPAWAN CITY, Dec. 17 (PNA) — Convinced that education helps alleviate poverty, Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista said on Wednesday the local government will appropriate PhP6.4 million for tuition fees of thousands of pre-school and elementary pupils and high school students in the city’s public schools.
The amount is doubled as compared to last year’s PhP3.2 million.
According to Evangelista, the city government has 32,000 scholars as part of the government’s desire to help children go through school to become professionals someday.
Among the benefits is the PhP200 Parent-Teachers-Community (PTCA) fee for school year 2015-2016.
Evangelista said the local government unit will appropriate PhP9.6 million for children studying in government-run schools. The mayor chairs the local school board.
Evangelista said poverty should not be a reason for parents not to send their children to school.
“By allotting funds for our students, there is no reason that they can’t finish their schooling because the city has allotted funds for their tuition and other fees,” Evangelista said in a radio interview.
Evangelista, known for his iron-fist policy against violators, warned parents or guardians who are members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) who send their children to farms to work instead of sending them to schools.
He pointed out that 4Ps beneficiaries receive cash grants every quarter and part of it is for tuition and school needs of their children.
The mayor conducted surprised visits to some public schools last month and learned some students were absent because they were sent by their parents to do farm works to make both ends meet.
He warned 4Ps parents forcing children to work that they will be delisted if they continue doing so.
Kidapawan City has about 2,500 indigents enrolled in the 4Ps being implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (PNA)