Lawmaker to give grants to scholars Sunday

Saturday, February 11, 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. will launch his own festival of love for thousands of his scholars beginning Sunday in Barangay Sindalan, this city.

Some 2,000 college scholars from the third district’s four towns and one city will receive grants for the second semester of the school year 2011-2012 amounting to about P7.2 million, drawn from the lawmaker’s priority development assistance fund or (PDAF).

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Around 8,000 scholars from the elementary and secondary levels have also been scheduled to receive their grants as early as this month until March, amounting to P5.5 million for the school year 2011-2012.

“We have started awarding the grants to our scholars this month, being a love month, to sort of make them feel in a special way how much we care about their education and their future,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales said that 42 high schools all over the district are recipients of the grants.

Meanwhile, in a report to his constituents, Gonzales said he has given P100 million worth of scholarship grants to elementary, high school and college students in the district, including additional funds through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and skills upgrade on information technology.

The report, titled public service report, said education has been better with Gonzales in the district.

Gonzales, who was elected as congressman in 2007 after a one-term stint as Provincial Board member, is helping around 25,000 scholars in his district, in addition to other projects from agriculture to livelihood, infrastructure and health.

“All these, especially our scholarship grants, are meant to help the poor and marginalized rise from their humble circumstances and make a better life for themselves and their children,” he said.

Recently, Gonzales was made an adopted son of the City San Fernando in a resolution passed by the City Council in recognition to his huge contributions to the people of the city through his various developmental projects.

“I am grateful for it and look at it as a double honor for being not only a resident of the city but also as an adopted son,” Gonzales, who was named Most Outstanding Kapampangan in business entrepreneurship in 2004, he said.

Gonzales, who was reelected with an overwhelming mandate in 2010, vowed to continue supporting poor students to help them make their dreams come true.

“I was like them when I was growing up in our barangay, dreaming to become a civil engineer,” he said.