Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste on Thursday shared he has personally funded a one-time ₱1,000 allowance, along with school bags and supplies, for 150,000 students in his district, as he called for a nationwide government-backed student allowance program.
“Sa aming distrito sa Batangas, nagbigay kami ng 1,000 pesos plus school bag and school supplies sa mahigit 150,000 students,” Leviste told DZRH News.
He added that his long-term objective is broader: “Ang aking layunin ay wala nang estudyante sa buong bansa na wala nang school bag at school supplies sa mga darating na mga taon.”
Leviste also confirmed the assistance was funded from his personal resources, however he urges the government to adopt the same objective to provide more financial and educational support to students across the country.
“Ako ay mapalad sa aking negosyo, bago ako pumasok sa politika at ngayon ang feeling ko ay tungkulin ko na ibahagi ang aking blessings sa ating mga kababayan, lalong-lalo po ang ating mga estudyante,” he said
He is proposing that the government provide a monthly ₱1,000 allowance for every basic education learner in the country.
“Ang panukala ko ang gobyerno ay magbigay every month,” he said, explaining that his own ₱1,000 distribution was one-time but used by students for uniforms, school supplies, transportation, and daily needs.
Leviste estimated the cost of the program at ₱30 billion per nationwide distribution, covering approximately 30 million students. According to him, lawmakers have begun discussions on the proposal.
“Tinalakay na po namin ito sa Committee on Basic Education… marami sa ating mga kasamahan sa Kongreso ay pabor sa pag-aproba nito,” Leviste shared.
He added that depending on fiscal capacity, the annual allowance could reach ₱10,000 per student, with possibilities of increasing releases to twice a year or even up to nine or ten times annually in the future.
Addressing questions about his personal financial capacity, Leviste said he sold shares from his business ventures and transferred remaining shares to a foundation that will generate continuing dividends for education initiatives.
“Binenta ko ang aking shares sa nakaraang taon at yung natitirang shares ko naman nilipat ko sa isang foundation na may perpetual source na ngayon ng mga dibidendo na ito ay pwedeng ibigay magbigay din ng funding para sa edukasyon ng mga estudyante kahit wala na po ako dito. Kaya ito po ay [layong] magbigay ng long-term na tulong para sa edukasyon,” he said.
Leviste noted, however, that personal efforts are not enough to match national needs. He urges the congress to consider and approve his proposed bill that at least 1,000 peso allowances are provided to each student nationwide at the start or every school year.
