MEXICO -- Third district Representative Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales turned over a check worth P310,000 to the Don Jesus Gonzales High School (DJGHS) in Barangay Pandacaqui here as payment for the enrolment fees of some 500 students.

Since he became a congressman, a total of 18,000 high school and college students have been given scholarship grants by Gonzales in his district.

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He said that aside from DJGHS, other schools given scholarship grants are the Arayat National High School with 133 scholars, Nuestra Senora Integrated School with 50 scholars and San Fernando West with 50 scholars.

He said the Iskolar ng Dong program has grown from 1,200 scholars in 2007 to 7,000 in 2008 and to 18,000 this year.

"Ang mga scholars natin ay 9,000 high school at 9,000 ay college coming from 40 high schools in Mexico, Arayat, Sta. Ana, Bacolor at City of San Fernando. Habang ang mga college scholars ay nag aaral sa DHVCAT, Assumption , PAC at iba pang colleges dito," Gonzales said.

The lawmaker said he has put much emphasis on education, adding that coming from a poor family, he sees the value of education in uplifting the quality of life on an individual and his family.

"Napakahalaga ng edukasyon kaya sa ating munting kakayahan ay naglalaan tayo ng pondo para sa mga scholars natin. Inilalapit natin ang mga eskuwela at unibersidad sa kanila para dito na sila mag aral at hindi na kinakailangan pumunta pa ng Maynila," Gonzales added. (Chris Navarro)