Starting in 2007, the federal government will give 1.3 million adults over the age of 70 who live in rural areas a monthly pension of 500 pesos, about US$47.

The assistance program, approved by the Chamber of Dep- uties as part of the 2007 federal budget, will hand out more than 6 billion pesos over the year to senior citizens living in towns or settlements with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants.

The specifics of the program, which will be run by the Social Development Secretariat (Sedesol), won´t be finalized until February. For example, rules are needed to prevent recipients from participating in both the new "Program for Older Adults in Rural Areas" and a similar program initiated during the Fox administration that delivers 2,100 pesos a year to rural residents over 60 with incomes low enough to jeopardize their food supply.

Another assistance program that came to light Thursday with the official publication of the recently approved federal budget consists of small education grants to Mexicans living in the United States.

The 10 million-peso (US$920,000) scholarship fund, which began in 2005 and will continue for at least another year, will provide about 5,000 mostly adult migrants with enough cash to continue their elementary or high school studies, or to enroll in college-preparation courses.

The program, administered jointly by the federal Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) and various non-governmental organizations on both sides of the border, aims to keep migrants from abandoning their studies as they leave their home country behind.

OTHER PROGRAMS

Several other migrant assistance programs were restored in the final budget after having been slotted for de-funding in the original budget proposal submitted by President Felipe Calderón on Dec. 7.

The revived migrant programs will be funded under an agricultural budget category known as the Special Concurrent Program for Sustainable Rural Development.

The funding for the programs includes 17.2 million pesos for general migrant support, 16.7 million for cadaver repatriation, 3.4 million for support for abused migrant women and children, 13 million for emergency legal aid, 2.5 million for financial assistance to impoverished migrants, 13.2 million for protection of migrants in danger and 5.4 million for emergency repatriation of "vulnerable" migrants.