Fifty-five students from 18 towns and cities of Negros Oriental are beneficiaries of the government’s Students Grants-in-aid Program for Poverty Alleviation, and enrolled at the Negros Oriental State University.

The program was launched yesterday at the NORSU gym, with regional directors Mercedita Jabagat and Chona Mantilla of the departments of Social Welfare and Development and Labor, program specialist Josefino Ronquillo of the Commission on Higher Education, city, town and school officials, the scholars and their parents.

Jabagat said the scholars are in good hands, and that the grant is in line with the 4Ps project of the national government to help alleviate poverty, increase the number of graduates from among the poor families and increase the rate of employment.

The program covers 667 cities and towns in 60 provinces nationwide, with 4,041 scholars enrolled in state colleges and universities. Of the number, 282 scholarship slots are allotted for Region 7, with 55 from Negros Oriental.

Six of the 55 scholars come from Jimalalud, four each from Manjuyod, Tanjay, and Sta. Catalina,three each from Guihulngan City, Ayungon, Bindoy, and Zamboanguita, two each from Dumaguete and Sibulan, with one scholar each for other towns and cities.

Under the partnership agreement, the DSWD identifies the beneficiaries and assures the funding for the scholars, CHED will transfer the funds and monitor the implementation of the program, and the DOLE will provide livelihood opportunities to the families of the scholars.

Ronquillo said the scholarship is limited to teacher education courses, adding that NORSU was identified as a partner because of its good performance. He said that teachers are in demand abroad and that, based on CHED survey, teacher education is considered a high value and dollar-earning course.

He said teachers get high ratings in the Professional Regulation Commission examination and have high employability locally and abroad.*JG

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