Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste.
On the first day of his term on June 30, 2025, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste filed one of the first bills of the 20th Congress.
House Bill No. 27 seeks to provide a monthly allowance of P1,000 to every Filipino student, from kindergarten to college, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
The proposed bill aims to help cover food, transportation, and other educational expenses, encourage school attendance and improve academic performance. The program would use digital cash transfers to ensure efficient and equitable distribution to students nationwide.
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The bill also proposes seeking donations and other funding sources to support the national student allowance program.
Leviste noted that other government programs already provide educational assistance to a selection of students, while students in other countries benefit from government-funded food, transportation, technology, and school supplies.
As an entrepreneur before entering public service, Leviste argued that providing educational assistance for every Filipino student is a worthwhile investment.
“While this may come at significant cost, this bill is premised on the attractive returns of investing in the education of the next generation, through a program that would efficiently and directly benefit today’s students who are the country’s future taxpayers,” Leviste said.
