Students from Manila's public universities to get P1,000 monthly allowance

MANILA (UPDATE) - All college students of the two public tertiary schools in the capital will soon receive a P1,000 monthly allowance from the city government, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said Wednesday as he signed an ordinance authorizing the stipend.

The allowance will be given to undergraduate students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) and Universidad de Manila (UdM), Moreno said in a press conference.

The allowance will be disbursed through ATM cards starting January 2020, when the ordinance is programmed into the city's annual budget, he said.

“Kaya ko siya gusto i-ATM kasi 'yung corruption mawawala (I want to release it via ATM to prevent corruption),” he said.

“We really wanted to be efficient in such a way. Also mas kapakipakinabang in terms of ginhawa (It's also more convenient),” he said.

Under Ordinance No. 8568, a student must have a clean disciplinary record to receive the stipend.

The student must also be a “bonafide resident and registered voter of the City of Manila,” the ordinance read.

“If the student is not of legal age to be a registered voter, his parent or legal guardian must be a registered voter of the City of Manila,” it read.

UdM President Ernesto Maceda lauded the ordinance, noting that “free education is not enough.”

“‘Yung students namin, hindi naman namin sagot ‘yung kanilang nutrition,” he said. “Marami sa kanila pumapasok na walang almusal, hindi makabili ng gamit.”

(For our students, we do not cover their nutrition. Many of them come to school without having any breakfast, they cannot buy school supplies.)

The allowance will be an “incentive” and a “big help,” he said.