46 province scholars get cash incentives

CEBU, Philippines - If not for the scholarship program of the Province of Cebu, a cum laude from the University of Visayas said he would never have achieved his dream of being a teacher.

Ryan Laborte, who graduated this year from the Bachelor of Science Elementary Education, thanked Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for including him as one of the beneficiaries of the Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program.

“Kung pwede pa lang ugkaton akong kasing-kasing gov, ako ning ihalad diha kanimo isip pagpadayag sa akong dakong pasalamat nga nahimo kang instrumento para makab-ot nako akong damgo nga mahimong maestro,” he said.

During the recognition day at the Capitol Social Hall yesterday, Laborte and 46 other new graduates received cash incentives from the governor’s Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program.

Armando Saraum of the University of Cebu, who is now an engineer after passing the 2010 ECE board examination, got a total of P40,000. Of that amount P30,000 was for placing third in the examinations.

CTEAP scholars who graduated as magna cum laude also received P25,000 each.

They were Stephen Garciano of UV who graduated from BS Electronics and Communications Engineering and Monnahlie Olandria of the Southwestern University who graduated from AB Mass Communication.

Eighteen students who graduated as cum laude each received P15,000 and the rest of the graduates received P5,000 each.

CTEAP, which was implemented by the Capitol since 1993, caters to “poor but deserving” high school graduates who wanted to proceed to college but are being hindered by their poverty.

Garcia said they chose four students from each of the 44 municipalities in the province to avail of the scholarship program wherein students are given P2,000 monthly allowance aside from free tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses.

She hopes that the rest of the municipalities will also choose deserving poor high school graduates to avail of the CTEAP by next year.

In her speech, Garcia thanked the graduates for making use of the opportunity that was given to them by the province.

“Inyo gayud gipakita ang kinasing-kasing na paningkamot and once again affirmed our conviction that if you would be given an opportunity to rise above the challenges that you face, especially the difficulties of poverty, then surely you will be up to the opportunity,” she said.

“Ayaw gyud usa mo panguyab. Ug duna na, buwagi usa. Focus all of your energies and strength on your studies. This should take precedence above anything else,” the governor further said.

Undergraduate CTEAP scholars, parents, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale and some provincial members were also present during the event.   (FREEMAN)