In a significant boost to education in Antique, 3,000 students from the University of Antique (UA) in Sibalom municipality received educational assistance on February 13, 2025. The aid, part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Aid to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, was distributed to students facing financial difficulties in meeting their educational needs.
Each student was granted PHP10,000, aimed at helping them cover essential school expenses. This initiative was spearheaded by Antique Representative Antonio Agapito Legarda, who emphasized the importance of education as a fundamental right. Legarda, with support from his sister, Senator Loren Legarda, successfully lobbied for this assistance from the DSWD.
During the distribution event at UA’s main campus, Legarda encouraged students to excel in their studies, highlighting the role of education in shaping the future of Antique, which recently achieved first-class province status. Dr. Runato Basañes, UA’s Student Affairs Director, noted that this was the first time non-scholarship students at the university had received such support, which typically goes to recipients of programs like CHED’s Tulong-Dunong and DOST scholarships.
Students expressed gratitude for the aid. Peby May Isman, a freshman in Entrepreneurship, shared how the assistance would help with her daily commute and support her family’s educational needs. Similarly, Dianne Elizabeth Bartolini, a third-year Hotel Management student, plans to use the funds for her daily allowance and to help her family with basic necessities.
Darlene Abagat, the SWAD team leader in Antique, explained that the assistance is intended to cover tuition, miscellaneous fees, and other school-related expenses. She added that further distributions would depend on the availability of funds, and urged recipients to use the aid wisely.
UA, the sole state university in Antique, serves approximately 26,000 students, making this educational assistance a vital support for many.