Archival inks postgraduate scholarship pact with partners

CEBU, Philippines — At least 700 public school teachers in Cebu City are set to benefit from newly signed graduate scholarships for master's and doctoral degrees following a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by

Mayor Nestor D. Archival and five partner universities.

This was confirmed by Local School Board consultant and former councilor Joy Young in a post.

The signing ceremony, held at City Hall, brought together Archival, DepEd Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Nimfa Bongo, and representatives from Cebu Institute of Technology University, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, University of the Visayas, University of Cebu, and Cebu Technological University.

Archival emphasized that the program is a direct investment in the city's future.

“Investing in our teachers is investing in the future of Cebu City. Sa pag atiman nato sa atong mga magtutudlo, nag atiman usab kita sa kaugmaon sa matag estudyante ug sa sunod nga henerasyon sa mga Sugboanon,” he said.

This latest development expands the Cebu City College Scholarship Program, which was institutionalized under City Ordinance No. 2339 in 2012 and strengthened by Ordinance No. 2565 in 2016, creating the Cebu City Scholarship Committee and broadening its coverage to tertiary education.

Council resolutions further expanded the number of scholarship slots, while recent council actions in 2025 and 2026 paved the way for graduate-level scholarships.

Archival described the partnership as a “concrete investment in strengthening the quality of education in our city,” adding: “Through this initiative, we are opening more opportunities for our educators to pursue graduate studies, grow professionally, and lead with even greater excellence.”

He also thanked the universities and DepEd Cebu City for their support.

The program is expected to provide equitable access to advanced training, particularly for teachers in upland and underserved barangays.

Application guidelines and return service requirements will be released by the Cebu City Scholarship Committee in coordination with DepEd Cebu City ahead of the next academic year. — /IHM (FREEMAN)