By JUAN ESCANDOR JR
NABUA, CamSur: Some 2,000 students-beneficiaries here initiated a
reverse move to ask President Aquino to retain the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) contrary to the anti-pork protest actions held in
several parts of the country.
Franchette Ruelle S. Obrero, fourth year student, defended the PDAF of
Camarines Sur fifth district Rep. Salvio Fortuno, saying that the educational
assistance they have received from their congressman sustained them to stay in
school.
Obrero, eldest among six siblings of farming parents, said she is
recipient of P3,000 every semester like the 3,500 other student-beneficiaries
who are in school because of the
financial assistance that help ease the burden of their poor parents.
Syra B Menias, third year college student, said she is worried that
if PDAF will be abolished that will keep
her out of school.
In their petition, the student-beneficiaries ask President Aquino not
to scrap the PDAF “because it helps the constituents in the form of
educational, medical, livelihood, and infrastructure assistance.”
Ariel Royobe, staff of Fortuno, said that when the students learned
about the announcement of Mr. Aquino regarding the pork barrel they immediately
trooped to their district office to ask them what to do.
Royobe said the students asked them to prepare the petition which they
started signing on Aug. 26.
He said that until now the Commission on Higher Education has not
received yet any new guideline or instruction on the fate of the educational
assistance being extended to students under the PDAF.
Royobe disclosed that Cong. Fortuno’s district office allots this
semester P10.5 million and at least P20 million every year of the P30 million
budget allotted for the district’s so-called soft projects. – Bicol Mail
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