Coleen A. Sambile, who hails from Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, was a former scholar of the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Region 12.

OWWA’s scholarship program provided her with the opportunity to dream, which ultimately became a reality.

Sambile described how EDSP paved the way to help her parents finance her education as she took the course of a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE). 

Ambitious as it may sound, she dreamt of becoming a civil engineer, and through her perseverance and hard work, she overcame life's challenges and became a full-fledged civil engineer.

Now she is thankful for the success that she has reaped, which now trickles down to her family, who sacrificed along with her.

“Maraming-maraming salamat sa inyo! Napakalaking tulong po nito sa aking pamilya dahil kahit papano babawas-bawasan po ‘yung problema nila sa pinansyal,” she said.

[Thank you so much! This was really a great help to my family because somehow it has reduced their financial difficulties.]

She relayed how she prayed hard to shield her from those that may pose a major threat to her success, which she believed helped her faith and determination grow stronger by the day.

“Taos puso po akong nagpapasalamat Diyos, sa pamilya ko, mga kaibigan as syempre sa programang ito na naging daan sa pagkamit ko sa aking pangarap na maging isang ganap na engineer,” Sambile added.

[I sincerely thank God, my family, friends, and, of course, this program that made it possible for me to achieve my dream of becoming a full-fledged engineer.]

EDSP is a scholarship grant given to qualified dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), which consists of P60,000 in financial aid per school year until the completion of their chosen four- to five-year baccalaureate course.

According to OWWA, the Department of Science and Technology's national examination results determine the selection of OWWA's scholars. 

“Only the top 400 passers are considered for entry as freshmen; 600 slots are for those who are already enrolled in college,” OWWA stated.

OWWA Regional Director Christelyn R. Caceres described the scholarship as “pro-OFWs,” urging their dependents to avail of the program since it was exclusively established in honor of OFWs and their immediate families.

Caceres said that aside from the scholarship grant for an OFW’s immediate family members and dependents, OWWA also provides opportunities to OFWs to avail of scholarships intended for them.

One of which, she said, is through the Skills-for-Employment Scholarship Program (SESP), a short-term training course that aims to improve the OFW's knowledge and skills.

The program also comes with a maximum of P14,500 per training course leading to the completion of a technical or vocational course in any accredited school or government training institution.

A total of 83 recipients of SESP had already completed their short-term course in 2023.

“Hinihikayat po natin ‘yung ating mga kababayan, especially sa ating Overseas Filipino Workers, kahit po na sa ibang bansa kailangan po nilang maging updated doon sa kanilang skills, para po makapag compete po tayo sa pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa,” Caceres told the Philippine Information Agency’s Performing and Informing online program, which is streamed every Wednesday over its regional and provincial Facebook pages.

[We are encouraging our OFW compatriots that even if they are in other countries, they still need to update their skills so that we can compete when working in other countries.]

OWWA ensures that the OFWs, the country’s modern-day heroes who seek greener pastures abroad to provide a better life for their children and families, receive what is due them.

Meanwhile, Sambile also urged other recipients of the EDSP scholarship to work hard and not take for granted the opportunities provided to them.

“Sa kapwa ko po iskolar ang message ko po sa inyo ay mag-aral po kayo ng mabuti at ipagpatuloy lang po ang pangarap sa buhay at hanggat maari ay huwag sayangin ang ibinigay na opportunity ng programang ito dahil malaking tulong po ito bilang estudyante at lalong lalo na sa pamilya ninyo na nagtratabaho sa ibang bansa,” she pointed out, encouraging others in her circles to embrace the value of gratitude for every opportunity they receive. 

[To my fellow scholars, my message to you is to study hard and continue to pursue your dreams in life, and as long as you can, do not waste the opportunity given by this program because it is a great help to you as a student and especially to your family members who work abroad.] (AMB/CTA – PIA Region 12)