A significant social welfare ordinance was signed into law in Lapu-Lapu City on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, creating a reliable financial safety net for undergraduate college students. Mayor Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan approved Ordinance 17-062-2026, officially establishing the Educational Assistance for Higher Education Program. Under the newly approved guidelines, qualified college students facing financial challenges will receive a direct cash subsidy of ₱5,000 per semester. This local legislative action aims to make higher education accessible to ordinary families, helping deserving youth complete their degrees at state colleges and private universities.
Driving Grants Higher via Outstanding Academic Grades
The newly launched educational program includes an innovative merit-based upgrade system designed to encourage high academic performance among student grantees. Under the law, students who maintain a general weighted average between 90% and 94% can apply to upgrade their semestral grant to ₱7,500. Grantees who achieve an outstanding grade average between 95% and 100% can receive the maximum semestral allowance of ₱10,000. This sliding scale design rewards hard work, helping students cover the rising costs of school textbooks, daily commuting, and laboratory fees smoothly.
Uniting City Officials behind Grassroots Youth Development
The successful passage of the educational ordinance resulted from close collaboration between the city executive office and the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Mayor King-Chan expressed deep gratitude to bill proponents Councilor Orlan Joseph Carungay and Councilor Annabeth Cuizon, alongside Vice Mayor Celsi Sitoy, for supporting the youth program. Local community boards emphasize that providing direct financial assistance to college students is an effective way to lower local poverty rates over time. The program ensures that financial limitations do not prevent intelligent students from achieving their professional goals.
A Clean Model for Expanding Countryside Livelihood Support
To complement the college student assistance program, the city government is expanding its Sustainable Livelihood Assistance initiatives across multiple coastal barangays. The City Social Welfare and Development Office distributed separate ₱5,000 small-business capital grants to 69 local families on the same day. This dual approach of supporting student education while funding family-owned micro-enterprises helps neighborhood communities build a more secure financial future. Other local governments in Central Visayas are studying Lapu-Lapu's community-centered ordinances to design similar youth development programs for their own municipal districts next fiscal year.
