The ordinance authored by Board Member Christopher Baricuatro, creating the Cebu Province’s Grants Intended for Tertiary Students, has been passed on third and final reading on June 15. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has passed on third and final reading this Monday, June 15, 2020, the ordinance creating the college scholarship program, Cebu Provincial Grants Intended for Tertiary students (CP-GIFTS).
With P15 million allocated for the program under the 2020 budget, the Capitol intends to award the CP-Gifts scholarship to 700 grantees or 100 scholars each for the province’s seven congressional districts.
An applicant, who makes the cut, will have to maintain a weighted average equivalent to 85 percent every semester to keep the scholarship, a requirement that was not part of the previous scholarship programs.
While the new scholarship grant of the Capitol offers 700 fresh slots for incoming first year college students for the upcoming school year, it also effectively repeals the Capitol’s two other programs namely the Paglaum scholarship program, which supported over 1,000 less privileged college students, and the Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program (CTEAP).
Although the abolition of the Paglaum and CTEAP scholarships was apparent since October 2019 yet, Board Member Christopher Baricuatro, the author of the CP-GIFTS ordinance, said he delayed the submission and deliberation of the ordinance so the province could still pay for the balances of the former scholars.
READ: 1500 Paglaum scholars to lose their grant next year
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Baricuatro said the Capitol continued to pay for the school balances of the former scholars for School Year 2019-2020.
For the prospective scholars of CP-GIFTS, Baricuatro said the Local School Board would start with the application process of the scholars by July in time with the projected opening of classes this August.
The new scholarship, according to the ordinance, will prioritize incoming students who will be taking up degrees in line with agriculture and information technology./dbs