BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The long-awaited monthly food vouchers of indigent college students will be fulfilled after the City Council approved the Free Youth Meals for College Students Ordinance of 2023.
The free youth meals program under the ordinance aims to make education more accessible by reducing food insecurity and supporting the retention rate of college students, especially those from low-income households, while also promoting health and nutrition.
Under the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) administered by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the city’s free meals program will provide up to P2,500 in monthly food vouchers to qualified low-income college students in institutions of higher learning in the city.
The program applies to college or university students in the city, including student assistants, if they meet specific qualifications which include: being a Baguio resident from a low-income family, passing the screening conducted by CSWDO, maintaining passing grades, and not being a recipient of other government assistance.
The distribution will be handled through a secure system in collaboration with participating schools to verify eligibility and prevent misuse.
Qualified students are given P2,500 worth of food vouchers per month. These vouchers are redeemable at accredited partner food establishments within the city.
An initial fund of P2.64 million under the CSWDO budget has been allocated for the first year of implementation.
According to CSWDO, the initial target number of beneficiaries is 100 and applicants may submit the following requirements to the CSWDO office units at Saint Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC), and University of Baguio (UB) or to the social worker assigned to each barangay.
The relevant documents to be submitted are the application form, Certification of indigency from CSWDO, through its unit offices.
For incoming freshmen: Form 138 (High School Report Card); for other college levels: copy of grades from the previous semester; Barangay certificate of residency stating that the applicant’s family is a bonafide resident of Baguio City for at least one year; Voter’s ID or COMELEC voter’s certificate (if not available, parent’s voter’s ID or voter’s certificate).
The ordinance, authored by former Sangguniang Kabataan Federation (SKF) President Levy Lloyd Orcales, was adopted by the city council in 2023. Its IRR was drafted by current SKF President John Rhey Mananeng, with input from the CSWDO. (Jordan G. Habbiling-SPIO)
