1500 Paglaum scholars to lose their grant next year

Cebu PB member Cristopher Baricuatro

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The over 1,500 beneficiaries of the Capitol’s Paglaum Scholarship Program may have to bid goodbye to their grant for school year 2020-2021.

This as the scholars are not qualified to avail of the new scholarship grant that the Capitol plans to offer starting next school year.

The present Paglaum scholars are not necessarily honor students during their high school years, now a requirement in the new scholarship grant. The Paglaum scholars are either indigents, victims of violence, orphans, children of drug dependents, solo parents, or are coming from dysfunctional families.

The proposed ordinance authored by seventh district Provincial Board Member Christopher Baricuatro seeks to replace Paglaum and all other educational assistance programs of the Capitol with the Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students (CPGifts).

Baricuatro said the existing scholars will have to look for a new scholarship grant from other government agencies or private organizations as the province can no longer accommodate them under CPGifts.

“(The) existing, they can still avail (of) scholarships (from) government but not (from the) province. (There are others) like CHEd [Commission on Higher Education] (that has a lot of) slots available. (They can longer be) accommodate(d)  (by the) province (since we now have) CPGifts, (one) of the requirements (of which) is that (they have to be in) first year,” Baricuatro said partly in Cebuano in an interview on Wednesday, October 2.

The Paglaum Scholarship Program was instituted in 2016 through an ordinance authored by former Vice Governor Agnes Magpale. The scholarship program was administered by the Provincial Women’s Commission, which was co-chaired by Magpale.

Paglaum grantees are entitled to a stipend of P1,500 monthly if they enrol in a state-run institute and an additional P10,000 tuition subsidy if their chosen program is only offered in a private institution.

Baricuatro’s CPGifts ordinance  already passed first reading on September 30, during the 15th Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s out of town session in Bantayan town.

He said it is due for second and third reading next Monday, October 7. If approved, CPGifts will start implementation in school year 2020-2021.

CPGifts applicants must be incoming college freshmen who graduated senior high school with honors. 

With P15 million initial appropriation in the 2020 budget, the Capitol intends to award the CPGifts scholarship to 700 grantees. Each of the seven congressional districts will have 100 scholars.

An applicant who makes the cut will have to maintain a weighted average equivalent to 85 percent every semester to keep the scholarship. /elb