College students in Yolanda-stricken areas to get P5k each

The Commission on Higher Education on Tuesday announced that it would release P540 million for college students enrolled in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

CHED Commissioner Prospero de Vera III told reporters in a briefing in Malacañang that affected students enrolled in both public and private institutions in these areas would receive a one-time P5,000 financial grant.

“The last announcement is that the other day, we also signed the implementing rules and regulations to provide an additional P5,000 financial assistance to public and private students enrolled in Yolanda affected areas,” he said.

“So this appropriation of about 540 million is residual money coming from Yolanda funds that were not utilized in 2016,” he added.

De Vera said that the Office of the President had instructed CHED to expedite the use of this amount.

“We are sending notices to all the public and private universities in Yolanda-affected areas when the money will be made available to them,” he said.

“So this will be disbursed by the universities to students as financial assistance starting this month as soon as the necessary paperwork is done with the state universities and colleges,” he added.

De Vera said that the students could avail of the assistance by checking with their schools.

“The students will apply for the assistance with their school. Because the school has the records, eh. And the school will be able to check if they—if they are students from Yolanda-affected areas. And then the cash assistance will be given by the school to the student,” he said.

The student can then use the money for miscellaneous fees or to pay for their books and other needs.

“It’s a one-time cash assistance long overdue because this is Yolanda-related but we’re making sure we are able to expedite the release. So these are funds coming from the 2016 Yolanda fund. There is no Yolanda fund in the 2017 General Appropriations Act,” he said.  —NB/KVD, GMA News