May 1, 2026

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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday urged 130 Presidential Scholars in General Santos City to study well, emphasizing the importance of a good education.

“Kaya’t ang advice ko lang sa inyo, lagi kong sinasabi sa ating mga presidential scholar, eh sinasabi ko sa kanila… mapakinabangan ninyo ito at mag-aral kayong mabuti at napakahalaga ng magandang edukasyon,” President Marcos said in his message to the scholars during his visit to the Lagao Gymnasium, before the rice and LGSF distribution.

President Marcos said the funding for the scholarship program of the government comes from part of the Socio-Civic Project Fund (SCPF), or PhP100,000 of the PhP200,000 provided for each of the barangays. From the fund, the five scholars will be given PhP20,000 each.

“Ang ginawa namin, bawat barangay bibigyan namin ng PhP200,000 kada barangay. Pero, ang sinabi lang namin sa ating mga barangay official, ‘yung ‘kalahati nun, ‘yung PhP100,000… PhP20,000 ang ibibigay sa limang scholar na galing doon sa barangay. At kayo ngayon ang naging beneficiary niyan,” President Marcos told the scholars.

President Marcos said the government is doing this to help families pay school tuition and other fees.

“Kaya namin ginawa ito para mas maging madali, lalo na ‘yung mga malapit na mag-graduate, pero ‘yung iba hindi makakapag-graduate dahil kulang ang pambayad. Kaya’t ‘yun ang mga hinahanap namin, matulungan para makapag-graduate, para may diploma na, may certificate na at marami kayong magagawa upang tulungan ang inyong mga sarili, ang inyong pamilya, ang inyong community,” President Marcos said.

“Kaya’t good luck sa inyo. ‘Yun lang, ang advice ko sa inyo, mag-aral kayo nang mabuti, mag-trabaho kayo nang mabuti sa eskwela,” President Marcos said.

The Chief Executive said that education is like wealth that students could earn.

“Yan ay kayamanan na kahit ano pa ang mangyari ay hindi na mababawi sa inyo, hindi kayang agawin, hindi kayang nakawin ‘yan. At ‘yan ang bubuhay sa inyo buong buhay ninyo,” the President said.

President Marcos advised the students to be serious in their studies, as this would help them a lot for the rest of their lives.

“Yan ang naging experience ko. Kaya’t ‘yan ang sinasabi ko sa inyo na dapat… na seryoso kayo sa pag-aaral at hindi kayo magsisisi. Tulong ito sa inyo for the rest of your life. So, congratulations and good luck! Good luck sa inyo!,” President Marcos said. | PND

May 2, 2026

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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday welcomed His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), during a courtesy call at Malacañang to explore expanded cooperation in sports development.

President Marcos expressed appreciation to OCA President Al Thani and his delegation for finding the time to visit the country despite a busy schedule.

During the event, both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in athlete training, institutional partnerships, as well as assessing the Philippines’ potential to host future regional and international sporting competitions.

President Marcos and OCA President Al Thani also emphasized the importance of deepening engagements with the OCA, so that Filipino athletes may have broader access to programs and resources that support their development.

In a social media post, President Marcos said the meeting reflects the administration’s unwavering commitment to expanding opportunities for Filipino athletes to “train, compete and win on the world stage.”

The President added that the engagement demonstrates growing confidence in the Philippines as a regional sports partner, saying the government will continue investing in athletes so they can represent the country with pride and inspire the next generation.

“We will keep investing in our athletes so they can carry our flag with pride and inspire the next generation,” said the President.

The OCA, which oversees major multi-sport events across Asia, plays a key role in shaping regional sports participation and development opportunities for member nations. Its decisions have direct impact on the Philippines’ participation in regional competitions, as well as its access to development resources and funding.

OCA President Al Thani was joined by Qatar’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Saad N.A. Al-Homidi, and OCA Director General Husain A.H.Z Al Musallam, and other officials.

On the Philippine side, present officials were Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman John Patrick Gregorio. PND