PB okays expanded scholarship program

CEBU, Philippines — At least 5,300 college students are expected to benefit annually from the expanded Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students (CP-GIFTS) after the Cebu Provincial Board approved the measure on third and final reading during its regular session on Monday, September 29, 2025.

The amendment increases allocations and broadens coverage of the program, which has been providing financial aid to poor but deserving Cebuano students since 2020.

Sponsored by Board Member Raymond Joseph Calderon, the amended ordinance sets aside 2,500 slots under the Office of the Governor and 1,000 under the Office of the Vice Governor, in addition to existing district and ex-officio allocations.

To sustain the expansion, the program’s annual appropriation will increase to ?150 million, ensuring more beneficiaries and smoother implementation.

Expanded coverage

Previously limited to select institutions, CP-GIFTS will now cover all qualified Cebuano students enrolled in public universities and colleges anywhere in the Philippines, including those studying outside Cebu.

“This measure strengthens and broadens CP-GIFTS by ensuring that all qualified Cebuano students—not just incoming first-year students but also those already enrolled—can benefit, provided they are studying in public institutions anywhere in the country,” Calderon said.

Applicants must be bona fide Cebu residents for at least one year, with parents registered as voters in the province. Their family income must not exceed ?200,000 annually, and they must not be receiving any other government or private subsidy. Students must also meet admission requirements of their chosen school and present proof of enrollment.

The CP-GIFTS program was created in 2020 under Ordinance No. 2020-10, which consolidated earlier scholarship initiatives such as the Paglaum Scholarship and the Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program (CTEAP).

Aside from the 3,500 slots under the Governor and Vice Governor’s offices, the amended ordinance retains the 200 scholars per district quota and 100 slots for each ex-officio representative in the SP.

Unused slots from districts with fewer applicants will be reassigned to other districts to maximize the number of beneficiaries. — (FREEMAN)