BORONGAN CITY (PIA) – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in Eastern Visayas has distributed financial assistance to 88 scholars in Eastern Samar.
The financial aid, distributed at the Eastern Samar State University in Borongan City last Jan. 8, is funded under the CHED Scholarship Program for Coconut Farmers and their Families (CoScho).
Of the 88 scholars, 65 are from the main campus, seven are from the Salcedo campus, four are from the Can-avid campus, and 11 are from the Guiuan campus, including one from Saint Mary’s College.
Under the program, every scholar is entitled to receive a stipend worth P35,000, book allowance per semester of P5,000, and one-time financial assistance of P30,000 to be used to purchase a laptop.
According to CHED Regional Director Max Aljibe, the scholarship program aims to raise the social equity of coconut farmers and alleviate poverty by providing quality education to coconut farmers and/or their dependents.
The scholarship program is also expected to improve agricultural productivity and modernization among coconut farmers and/or their dependents based on scientific advances in agricultural technology and other related fields and motivate the younger generation to engage in agriculture.
He added that the coverage of the scholarship program should be accessible to qualified and deserving coconut farmers and/or their families duly registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System.
In his message, Aljibe reminded the scholars to study hard, graduate and eventually help their families, schools, and communities.
Meanwhile, ESSU President Andres Pagatpatan stressed that the students should study hard and maintain their grades. “You have to study hard, do your assignments, maintain your grades, and use your money wisely,” Pagatpatan said.
Lester Dequito, a Tourism student at ESSU main campus and one of the recipients of the scholarship, said he is thankful to be among the many scholars.
“This is a big help for me in pursuing my studies and to fulfill my dreams,” he said in an interview with the Philippine Information Agency.
Eligible to apply for the scholarship are Filipino citizens who are graduating high school students or high school graduates with a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 85 percent or its equivalent, or college students with earned academic units relevant to the degree program identified by PCA with a GWA of 85 percent of the previous semester or its equivalent.
The scholarship program is a collaborative initiative between the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and CHED, established under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Project (CFIDP) pursuant to Republic Act No. 11524 of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Fund Act. (LDL/SDC/PIA Eastern Samar)
