87 Pasig scholars receive stipend via ATM cards

MANILA – Barangay San Antonio in Pasig distributed automated teller machine (ATM) cards to scholars where village officials can send them their tuitions and allowances via electronic money transfer (e-money).

Barangay San Antonio chairman Raymond Lising announced on Sunday said their scholars have already received their ATM cards as well as their citizen cards.

Lising said each scholar will receive PHP50,000 maximum per year and a monthly allowance of PHP1,500.

The purpose of the ATM cards is for cashless transactions so that scholars or their parents will no longer have to go to the barangay to claim their stipends, he said.

With these cards, students can withdraw their allowances and tuition fees anytime and anywhere as long as there is an ATM such as in malls and other establishments.

“We put great importance on education as it is one of our priorities here in our barangay. They could check the balance of their ATM cards using a mobile application. Money will be sent in real time because of this e-money transfer,” he said. “Their tuitions and allowances will be quickly transferred to their accounts. They no longer need to go here at the barangay hall to claim these.”

The scholars, however, are required to maintain a general weighted average (GWA) of 80 percent to be able to get the educational assistance.

“They only need to maintain at least 80 percent GWA in order for them to remain scholars of our barangay,” Lising said.

Lising said the educational aid of the barangay will also unburden parents of providing for the education of their children during the pandemic, which affected many people financially.

In the past there were only around 20 scholars which gradually grew under the administration of Lising, who allocated a huge chunk of barangay’s budget for the scholars as he greatly puts great importance to education of the youth.

To date, there are now 87 students under the scholarship program of Barangay San Antonio.

Barangay San Antonio, Pasig is the first barangay in the city to give ATM cards to scholars as it seeks to be more innovative by utilizing technology amid the pandemic.

Lising has been known to push for digital innovations in their barangay. The very active social media accounts of the barangay are testament to his advocacy — giving timely information to San Antonio residents.

Under the memorandum of agreement with the barangay, scholars, after finishing their tertiary education, are required to do something to give back to the community.

“That’s up to them, whatever they could contribute for the betterment of the barangay is very much welcome,” he said.

The only requirement for students to become scholars in Barangay San Antonio, Pasig is that they are registered voters.

On Thursday night, Barangay San Antonio also launched its citizen card virtually. The Barangay San Antonio Citizen Card contains a QR code which contains basic information such as resident’s name, sex and address which will serve as proof that he/she is a resident of the barangay. (PR)