By Rowena T. Cruz Perez police provide school supplies to a Project Isla May Pag-Asa beneficiary. (Perez MPS) PEREZ, Quezon — Nine fina...
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| Perez police provide school supplies to a Project Isla May Pag-Asa beneficiary. (Perez MPS) |
PEREZ, Quezon — Nine financially disadvantaged students in the island municipality are receiving free school supplies and daily allowances through a police-led scholarship program designed to keep them in school. Spearheaded by Police Captain Mitchelle Barbacena Acana, Project Isla May Pag-Asa will support the beneficiaries from their current grade levels until they complete Grade 12.
Teachers helped identify children whose education and regular attendance were affected by their families’ limited financial means. Some beneficiaries frequently missed classes because they had no money for daily transportation, while others were often seen wandering around the community instead of attending school.
Perez Central Elementary School in Barangay Mapagmahal is among the schools selected to benefit from the long-term educational initiative. Its official newsletter, The Bundok Chronicle, announced the school’s participation in the program in its June 2026 issue.
Selected learners will receive free school supplies to meet their classroom needs and a daily allowance to help ease the financial burden on their families. The assistance is intended to allow them to attend classes regularly and devote greater attention to their studies.
Acana, officer-in-charge of the Perez Municipal Police Station, initiated the program after learning about families struggling to keep their children in school. Police personnel viewed educational assistance as a practical way to encourage regular attendance and protect children from possible accidents while wandering outside their homes.
“May mga estudyante kaming napili dahil nahihirapan ang kanilang mga pamilya na pag-aralin sila,” Acana said. “May nakita rin kaming mga batang naglalagalag, kaya minabuti naming suportahan ang kanilang pag-aaral upang mailayo sila sa kapahamakan.”
Project Isla May Pag-Asa will provide continuous educational support to its nine beneficiaries until they finish their basic education. The Sangguniang Bayan of Perez formalized the scholarship program through a municipal ordinance, providing a legal basis for its continued implementation.
Police personnel contribute to the scholarship fund, while the municipal government and other community stakeholders provide additional support. The exact amount of the daily allowance provided to each beneficiary was not disclosed in the available information.
Acana urged the scholars to study hard and use the assistance as an opportunity to move closer to their aspirations. She assured them that Perez police would remain ready to support their education and help them pursue their dreams despite financial hardship.
“Ang lagi ko lamang sinasabi sa kanila ay mag-aral silang mabuti dahil nandito kami upang tulungan silang maabot ang kanilang mga pangarap,” Acana said. “Maaaring maliit lamang ang maibigay naming tulong, pero naniniwala akong malayo ang kanilang mararating sa pamamagitan nito.”
The administration, teachers, parents and learners of Perez Central Elementary School expressed gratitude to Acana and the program’s partner organizations. They described the assistance as an investment in the education, dreams and aspirations of the school’s learners.
Alongside the scholarship program, Perez police continue to promote the safety and general well-being of children throughout the island municipality. Officers are strictly enforcing laws against minors who illegally operate motorcycles to protect them from road accidents and other possible harm.
Project Isla May Pag-Asa expands community policing beyond conventional law enforcement by directly addressing the educational difficulties faced by vulnerable children. For nine students in Perez, the initiative provides both immediate assistance and a sustained opportunity to remain in school until they complete Grade 12.
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