By Paulo Loreto Lim

Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez spoke at the Silay City Plaza over the weekend to address 1,600 beneficiaries of the Tulong-Dunong Program, an education assistance program enacted during his first term in Congress in 2010.
The program, conducted in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), offers financial assistance for qualified students attending either public or private schools in the third district or Bacolod City.
In his address, the congressman discussed recent legislative measures, including the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law, which provides free tuition at public colleges and universities; along with the installation of Wi-Fi in public areas throughout the country.
Also present at the event were CHED officials Cristy Laurente and Ma. Karen Catalina Zaldivar; scholarship program coordinators from various schools; and Silay City Mayor Mark Golez, who welcomed guests./WDJ