Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay announced on Monday her administration is offering scholarships of up to P80,000 for public high school graduates in the city who want to go to college.
This after members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod enacted City Ordinance No. 2019-A-036, institutionalizing the city’s College Scholarship Program, which Mayor Binay has endorsed to provide residents with equal access to quality education to promote inclusive progress.
“I am glad that the council has approved the ordinance which will enable the city government to provide much-needed support to deserving Makatizens. We hope that with the college scholarship program in place, more high school students in our public schools will be motivated to excel in their studies,” said Binay.
Aside from being Makati residents, applicants must be fresh senior high school graduates and belong to the top 10 percent of the graduating class. Qualified applicants will be asked to undertake a service agreement with the city to signify their commitment to serve with the city government for a certain period after graduation.
Binay said the scholarship program covers three different scholarship types: Premier/Specialized School Scholarship, Full Scholarship, and Priority Courses and Skills Training Scholarship.
Under the Premier/Specialized School Scholarship, an P80,000 scholarship benefit will be given to qualified incoming first year students who will enroll in private colleges and universities in Metro Manila, which have been declared as Centers of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education.
On the other hand, qualified incoming first year students who will enroll in any state university or college in Metro Manila other than the University of Makati will be granted Full Scholarship with P20,000 in total benefits for each school year.
Meanwhile, qualified students or trainees who will enroll in or are enrolled in Department of Science and Technology-listed priority courses in the department’s accredited schools will be given P40,000 under the Priority Courses and Skills Training Scholarship.
Persons with disabilities, especially those who are enrolled in top-performing schools accredited by CHED and the Professional Regulation Commission, will also get P40,000 per school year.
Mayor Binay said a scholar must maintain a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 1.5, with no grade of 5.0, dropped, unremoved, 4.0, incomplete, or the equivalent of these grades.
The said ordinance has also established a Scholarship Committee tasked to promulgate its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) and draw up the service contract and service agreement.
The committee will be composed of the City Mayor as chairperson, and the following as members: City Personnel Officer, City Social Welfare Officer, City Accountant, City Budget Officer, and DepEd Schools Superintendent. The City Education Department will serve as its Secretariat.
Since 2005, the city has been providing scholarship for qualified students who choose to pursue their college education at the University of the Philippines or the Philippine Normal University.
Aside from full payment of tuition and miscellaneous fees, UP and PNU scholars receive a P4,000 monthly stipend and up to P5,000 book allowance per semester.
The city government has also implemented a scholarship program at the University of Makati wherein scholars receive a P2,000 monthly stipend and a P2,000 book allowance.
