President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday expanded the government’s “Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” initiative to Makati City, rolling out food, education, and community assistance packages aimed at strengthening support for families and barangays at the grassroots level.
Speaking before beneficiaries at the Makati Coliseum in Barangay Singkamas, Marcos said the government remains focused on addressing the day-to-day needs of ordinary Filipinos, particularly vulnerable and struggling sectors.
“Asahan po ninyo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay hindi po natutulog, hindi po nagbabakasyon, at walang ginawa kung hindi mag-isip ng paraan kung ano ang pangangailangan ng taong-bayan, kung ano ang pangangailangan ng ating mga naghihirap na mga kababayan,” the President said.
Under the program, 13,571 families from different barangays in Makati received 10 kilos of rice each through the Local Government Support Fund, with distribution set every two months.
Beneficiaries included working-class households, senior citizens, and middle-income residents, sectors that local officials said are often left out of traditional government subsidy programs.
Marcos also led the release of financial support under the Socio-Civic Projects Fund, which allocates assistance directly to barangays for education and local development projects.
Each barangay received P100,000 earmarked for educational assistance, allowing five presidential scholars per barangay to receive P20,000 each. A total of 115 scholars from Makati’s 23 barangays benefited from the program.
Another P100,000 per barangay was allocated for community-based projects identified by local officials. The funds were used to procure equipment and materials such as laptops, projectors, CCTV cameras, generators, flood pumps, office equipment, steel tents, and other disaster response and public service tools.
“Huwag po kayong mag-alala at nandito po ang inyong pamahalaan, nandito po ang gobyerno na nag-aalalay sa inyo, na tumutulong sa inyo at tinitiyak na ang buhay po ninyo ay maging mas maginhawa,” Marcos said.
The Makati rollout marked the latest expansion of the administration’s nationwide assistance campaign, which has already been implemented in Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and Pasay.
The initiative seeks to channel national government resources directly to barangays while strengthening food security, educational access, and local governance capabilities.
Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay thanked the President for including Makati in the program despite the city’s reputation as one of the country’s wealthiest local government units.
“Nais nating magpasalamat sa ating Presidente kasi hindi niya nakalimutan ang Makati. In spite of the fact na hindi naman maikakaila na malaki ang pondo ng Makati, binigyan pa rin tayo ng tulong ng ating Presidente,” Binay said.
She added that many of the beneficiaries belong to middle-income households that usually do not qualify for government aid despite facing rising living costs and economic pressures.