The Antique Provincial Youth Development Office (PYDO) will further strengthen its partnership with various youth organizations in the province to come up with more developmental activities.

The office is one of the 25 Most Outstanding Local Youth Development Offices (LYDO) in the Philippines recognized during the 4th Philippine Sangguniang Kabataan Awards at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City on June 12, said Antique PYDO head Irish Manlapaz.

“We were able to receive the award because of good governance,” Manlapaz said in an interview on Thursday.

She said the PYDO has established a database and conducted joint activities with 38 active youth organizations in the province.

They also reached out to students applying for educational assistance from the provincial government.

“Instead of the students coming to the capitol to apply for the educational assistance, the PYDO personnel were the ones who reached out to them,” she said.

For the first semester this year, she said 18,239 of the 19,409 students who applied have already received aid totaling PHP91.78 million.

“There are only 1,170 students yet to receive their assistance hopefully by the end of June,” Manlapaz said.

College students are provided with PHP5,000 assistance while graduate students are allotted PHP6,000 each per semester for their books, board and lodging, and other school fees.

Manlapaz added that they also assisted in the conduct of a medical mission to the indigenous people’s Iraynon Bukidnon community in Barangay Tigunhao in the municipality of Laua-an that was organized by the One Western Visayas Youth Network last month.

Free health consultations and dental care services aside from the Covid-19 vaccination were provided to recipients.

“We were also able to conduct leadership training and workshops in the New People’s Army-infested areas,” Manlapaz said.

In October this year, they plan to hold the 1st Provincial Summit that will gather partner youth organizations for a one-day activity. (PNA)