MANILA, Philippines - The Taipei Economic & Cultural Office (TECO) is now accepting applications to the 2009 scholarship grants the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is offering. The scholarship is open to Filipinos of excellent academic standing who wish to study Mandarin language or to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees in their chosen disciplines in universities in Taiwan. Scholar grantees for the Mandarin course will receive a monthly stipend of NT$25,000 (approximately US$750) while those in the graduate levels will be given NT$30,000 (approximately US$900). The guidelines and application form can be downloaded from the website taiwanembassy. org/ph. Applicants may call the Press Division at tel. no. 8876688 ext. 141 for further inquiries. Deadline for submission of application forms and requirements to the Press Division, TECO, is not later than March 31, 2009.