Taguig launches P700-M scholarship program

MANILA – The city government of Taguig on Friday rolled out its enhanced scholarship program for residents and other stakeholders.

In a special session, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) passed Ordinance 6, series of 2020 that will continue Taguig's scholarship programs enjoyed by 55,000 college students and about 10,000 secondary school students, and create new scholarship packages for athletes, students in a select number of fields, and public servants and their families or dependents.

This year, the city will bankroll the ordinance with PHP700 million, a significant chunk of its PHP3-billion budget for education.

The city's allocation for education reflects nearly a third of its total budget for 2020.

Dubbed as the “Enhanced, Expanded, and Rationalized Taguig City Scholarship Programs”, the ordinance is part of the city’s initiative to provide scholarship programs and incentives to secondary, college, and post-graduate students, takers of technical-vocational or “ladderized” courses, even public servants who want to study both locally and internationally.

It also stipulates that the Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-Need Scholarship Program will remain, together with other long-time programs, such as the grant of educational assistance to Taguig City University scholars and the Taguig Learners’ Certificate Scholarship Program, and some merit incentives.

It provides allowances and incentives ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP100,000 a year for beneficiaries of the city's seven scholarship schemes.

“This amended ordinance is the concrete manifestation of the city’s strong commitment to two central values of Taguig City: education and inclusion. Education empowers people to achieve their dreams. Since we want nobody to be left behind, we must provide our citizens access to effective education,” Mayor Lino Cayetano said in an interview.

Included in the project is the so-called "Advancing Sports' Competitiveness and Excellence (ASC Excellence) Scholarship Program, which focuses on Taguig’s youth athletes.

Under this initiative, varsity players in colleges and universities and selected public high schools will be provided supplementary allowances.

Medal finishes and other recognitions will also get incentives.

Another offering grants scholarship subsidies of PHP100,000 to PHP200,000 students of medicine, engineering, and other fields but this comes with a return service agreement with the city.

The program provides for free tuition and miscellaneous fees, book allowance, living and transportation allowance and merit incentives.

A scholarship program for Taguig public servants interested in continuing their education was also added.

Automatically eligible for this type of scholarship are those working in the city and even those from national government agencies who are assigned in Taguig, particularly from the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Department of Education, and Bureau of Fire Protection.

The program prioritizes specialized and short-term courses offered by countries with embassies and consular offices in the city, but it can accommodate locally-offered courses and graduate studies.

Scholars of existing programs of the city may also avail of these benefits, as a supplement to their present grant.

Another scholarship grant is open to children or dependents of public servants in Taguig and those from national government agencies assigned in the city.

It extends assistance specifically for those in tertiary studies.

Aside from this, all 6,000 regular Taguig City University students will be scholars of the local government and given additional allowances.

Taguig City will also continue to give graduates from all public high schools in the city PHP15,000 scholarship vouchers to encourage them to avail of the scholarship offerings.

The new measure shall have safeguards for inclusiveness, Cayetano said, noting that it disregards political affiliation and economic class and gives preference to persons with disabilities.

A total of 55,000 individuals are expected to benefit from the program.

Cayetano said the omnibus program and all other highlights in the education agenda would open up opportunities for Taguigeños.

“Investing in our people equates with investing in the future of Taguig. In short, the future of our city just looks even brighter,” he added.

Launched in 2011, Taguig's comprehensive scholarship program has benefitted more than 55,000 scholars in more than 200 colleges and universities.

More than 8,000 scholars of the city are now degree holders, including 25 doctoral and 328 master’s degree holders.

Among them are 2,691 licensed engineers, teachers, nurses, accountants, psychometricians, criminologists, lawyers, architects, and medical doctors. (PNA)

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