MANILA, Philippines - Berjaya Philippines is giving its 10 scholars now in Kuala Lumpur a complete package where everything is free plus a stipend per month of P21,000 to pay for their board, lodging, and other personal expenses.
“We are giving them enough so they do not have to worry about anything else except their studies. They are not well off which is one key criterion, so we understand when we find out that they are scrimping to send some money back home. In fact, that shows us that we chose good people,” said Berjaya country manager Paul Soo.
To save up, they share rooms and other expenses so there’s more left that they can either spend for themselves or send back home. One of them regularly sends back as much as P15,000 per month.
But by August, the scholars will graduate. They differ on how to pursue their dreams. One would like to stay to teach at their alma mater, Berjaya University College of Hospitality, culinary subjects to share what he has learned.
Others would like to go back home to work in the fields of hotel and restaurant management, and tourism and travel management.
This time, with educational capital in hand, their future is wide open.
“They do not owe Berjaya anything. They can do as they please after graduation but we would like to see them succeed, even change the world. By giving them education, we are putting them on equal footing with even those who have more in life,” said Soo.
This year, Berjaya will send 45 scholars to KL and will open other courses as well to include diploma in culinary arts, hospitality management, events management, retail management, and tourism and travel management. He said people can still apply by logging on to www.bcor.com.ph.
As in the first batch, the course will take 2.5 years to finish and will start this September. The campus is within a complex of buildings in Times Square in central KL which the Berjaya Group owns. The facilities are first-world, giving visitors the feeling that they are in a hotel, instead of a school.
For culinary arts, even the present scholars themselves volunteer that the several kitchens they use are “five star.” All the ingredients to cook and concoct anything are provided free by the school.
“The experience itself will open their eyes to things and possibilities they could only dream of. With our scholarships, we are making these dreams within reach,” he said.
Berjaya Phils. employs around 800 people and comprises Luzon-based businesses such as Papa John’s Pizza, Berjaya Hotel on Makati Ave., the Philippine Gaming Management Corp., Friendster, Loadcentral and Money Online.