INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Grace Poe wants village officials to maximize their access to educational opportunities that will help them provide better services to their constituents.
Senator Poe, who met recently with the village officials of Tarlac and Isabela, urged them to take advantage of their privileges as public servants and apply for study grants that are available to village officials and workers who wish to pursue higher education or skills training.
“While having a college degree is not a requirement to be able to serve in our barangays, I believe it is to a public servant’s interest to pursue higher education and constantly work for self-improvement. This will contribute to excellence in public service,” Poe said.
Village officials and their legitimate children are exempted from paying tuition and matriculation fees in state universities and colleges in the province or city to which their villages belong during their incumbency.
Those exempted include the village captain, the treasurer, the secretary and the members of the village council. Their dependents may also apply for grants for their college education.
The Sangguniang Kabataan chairman and council members may also seek study grants from the Commission on Higher Education.
“We should encourage our barangay leaders to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills as public servants because they are front-line service providers of government at the grassroots level,” Poe said.
She urged local government units to set aside funds from the LGU budget for scholarships for the dependents of village leaders who may not be eligible for study grants from the national government because of age limitations.