The Quezon City government has granted a total of P1.2 million in stipends to its scholars this year.
Of the amount, P900,000 was awarded to the first batch of city public high school valedictorians and salutatorians, who received a stipend of P10,000 each per semester from the city government.
Under the city’s expanded scholarship and youth development program, students who graduated as valedictorians and salutatorians from city public high schools shall be awarded a maximum scholarship grant of P80,000 to cover their tuition and other fees and a stipend of P20,000 a year.
Prior to the expansion, valedictorians and salutatorians received a stipend of P4,000 per semester or P8,000 per year.
Also included as beneficiaries of the program were 79 alumni of the SB Center for Excellence (SB Centrex) and the 142 elected Sangguniang Kabataan chairpersons, who were awarded a stipend of P1,500 each.
Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., represented by QC Ladies Foundation chairperson Joy Belmonte-Alimurung during the awarding ceremony, considers public education as a very important step towards the empowerment of the poor.
“People who are empowered are those who can contribute fully and successfully to their personal, family and community needs,” Belmonte said.
To date, the city has about 12,384 scholars.
The city’s scholarship program was created in 1991 by virtue of a council resolution to provide financial assistance to deserving but underprivileged city high school students.
Students enrolled at the city-managed QC Polytechnic University (QCPU) are also granted scholarships under the city’s program.
For schoolyear 2008-2009, a total of 1,369 new scholars from QCPU received their scholarship certificates. Of this number, 310 students received 100-percent scholarships; 413 received 50-percent scholarships and 646 got 35-percent scholarships. – Perseus Echeminada