Newly elected Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste is pushing for a monthly allowance of P1,000 for all Filipino students—from kindergarten to college—through his first legislative proposal filed on June 30, 2025.
House Bill No. 27 seeks to provide direct financial support to students regardless of their family’s income level. The goal: to ease the burden of educational expenses, including meals and transportation, and to boost attendance and performance in schools.
Under the proposed measure, the funds would be distributed via digital cash transfers to ensure that support reaches students efficiently and fairly across the country.
Leviste, who was an entrepreneur before entering politics, emphasized the bill’s long-term economic impact, describing it as a strategic investment in the country’s future.
“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,” he said.
The bill also outlines efforts to explore alternative funding sources, including private donations, to sustain the nationwide allowance program.
