DOLE bares scholarship for Pinoy professionals

MANILA, Philippines - To enable Filipino teachers and other professionals to find better employment and higher salaries, the government is making scholarship grants available to them.

The Department of Labor and Employment has announced that scholarship grants under the Enhancement Training Sponsorship Project (ETSP) are available for Filipino professionals.

DOLE’s International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) Director Ma. Celeste Valderrama said the ETSP is one of the efforts of the government to enhance the skills pool of the Philippines while allowing Filipino professionals to find better income overseas to support their families.

She said applications for the two-year scholarship grants under its ETSP project are now being accepted. The project allots a maximum of $1,500 per scholar per course, with the funding being released at the beginning of each term.

The scholarship fund used for the ETSP goes to qualified professionals who seek to pursue graduate and post graduate studies in the fields included in the Skills List for the Philippines. The Skills List is a directory of skills that are in short supply of practitioners in the Philippines and, therefore, very much needed, she added.

At present, available slots are only for teachers seeking to enroll for a new program in General Science, Physical Science, Math, and Special Education and slots for Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Speech Pathology (Language and Hearing).

Valderrama said the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is the designated fund manager of the grants under the TESP.

The DOLE official stressed that the ETSP is only applicable for applicants who wish to pursue their studies in the Philippines and not overseas, and that they do not encourage the scholars to apply for a work abroad after the completion of their studies.