IN LINE with its agenda to provide quality education to Simonian youth, the local government of San Simon distributed anew financial assistance to marginalized but deserving college students.
Mayor Leonora Wong on Thursday morning, January 31, led the distribution of scholarship grants amounting to P2,500 each to a total of 1,000 students enrolled in various colleges and universities.
In her speech, Wong said the local government has helped produce thousands of professionals since she launched her scholarship program immediately after she assumed her post in 2010.
Wong underscored the importance of prioritizing education to provide a long term solution to all sorts of problems in the community such as criminality and poverty, among others.
“Education is very important for an individual. It gives an individual self-confidence and we would want to give our children that confidence as they seek bigger opportunities for themselves, their families and their hometown,” Wong said.
Former Mayor Rodrigo “Digos” Canlas, who served as guest of honor in the event, also encouraged recipients to maximize the opportunity given to them by the local government to pursue their education.
Canlas, who wasn’t able to finish his studies due to poverty, cited the advantage of finishing their studies to get better opportunities and uplift the lives of their families.
“Get every chance you can to finish your studies, it will not come easy but it will surely be worth it. You are very lucky to be receiving assistance from the government today because we did not have that luxury before so maximize it,” he said.