Taipan says education is good investment for the future

One of the lasting legacies parents can bequeath their children is a good and modern education as this is a "very good investment for the future" – courses that are science and technology-based, according to one of the country’s well-known and respected taipans.

At a get-together feting scholars of two private academic institutions, industrialist Dr. Lucio C. Tan hammered home anew the value of education in people’s lives, saying "education is for tomorrow."

A chemical engineer by profession, Tan pushed for the development and training of students in the field of science, math, physics and chemistry. "There is nothing to lose and everything to gain in pursuing these courses, which will ultimately benefit students and the country’s industries as well."

Tan’s active involvement in upgrading the country’s education system gained further currency as it was learned during the event at Century Park Hotel that this type of advocacy was closest to the businessman’s heart.

Esther Garcia, former chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education and now a member of FUSE (Foundation of Upgrading the Standard of Education) of which Tan is one of the founders, related to SEEP (Science and Engineering Education Project) scholars from Ateneo and De La Salle Universities, about an incident on board a flight bound for Manila several years ago.

"This Indonesian friend of mine was telling me about a Chinese Filipino guy who was talking about his dreams for his country and what he has been doing to raise the quality of education here," Garcia said.

It turned out, Garcia recounted, that the man referred to by her friend, who was in the same flight from Jakarta with the businessman, was Tan based on the Indonesian’s description of the industrialist.

Addressing the scholars, Tan noted that enrollment in Metro Manila schools had dropped as many of the transient students have decided to stay and study in their respective provinces due to economic difficulties.

"Colleges and universities in the metropolis are now less populated as the most of the provinces have their own state colleges and universities. The move means less expense for the parents’ students.

The recent get-together honored the 82 scholars of the education department’s SEEP program, which was adopted this time by Ateneo and La Salle Universities, the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Fortune Tobacco and FUSE. The scholar-teachers will pursue Masters of Education major in Chemistry, Masters in Biology Education, Master of Education major in Physics, and MS Mathematics Education.

Through the Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Tan and the University of the EAst have launched a scholarship program for poor but qualified students. To date, a total of 176 students have availed, themselves, of the program which offers free tuition for the first semester to incoming freshmen in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences (Manila), Business Administration (Manila and Caloocan), Computer Studies and Systems, Engineering and Dentistry.

In addition, each scholar will receive per semester: P1,500, book allowances; P1,000, uniform subsidy; and P200 monthly transportation and P2,500 monthly stipend for 10 months.