Central Philippine University

CPU Graduate School student receives a grant worth P250,000.00 to start a community project

by | Jul 1, 2022 | Uncategorized

By Phoebe Key Cutaran


Salido, a graduate school student of CPU, receives a grant from the Democracy Grant of the United States Agency for International Development and The Asia Foundation.

John Marlou Salido, an active youth leader of Kalibo, Aklan, and a 2nd year student of CPU taking up Master of Science in Social Work, was recognized as one of the ten (10) recipients of the Democracy Grant of the United States Agency for International Development and The Asia Foundation amounting to Php 250,000.00. Salido is also a CPUR Representative of the School of Graduate Studies for AY 2022-2023.

Out of the thirty (30) youth fellows around the country who underwent the rigorous leadership and democracy training with esteemed institutions such as the Ateneo School of Government, Asian Institute of Management, and Ayala Foundation, Inc. for over one (1) year, Mr. Salido’s LOVE Project: LOan to saVE, was chosen as one of the recipients of the said grant.

According to Mr. Salido’s Facebook post “This will allow my organization, Project Kalibo, Inc. to start the LOVE Project: LOan to saVE. With this project, we aim to make lending accessible to our young indigent micro-entrepreneurs. Moreover, we provide a zero interest/collateral FREE loan, and at the same time, we encourage our beneficiaries to save.”

The awarding took place last June 17, 2022 at Rizal Park Hotel, Manila, Philippines.

Mr. Salido was one of the thirty (30) selected youth leaders from over 300 applicants nationwide, and the lone representative from the Province of Aklan to become a part of the first batch that underwent the Leadership and Democracy (LEAD) Fellowship 2021 brought by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Asia Foundation.

Mr. Salido is a strong advocate of financial literacy, youth and economic empowerment. He is currently the co-founder and Executive Director of Project Kalibo, Inc., a part-time Senior High School instructor at Aklan Valley High School, and the incumbent Vice President for Internal Affairs of Junior Chamber International – Aklan Kalantiao.