ILIGAN CITY – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has granted scholarship statuses to 292 students from Iligan City and neighboring municipalities for the Academic Year 2020-2021 under its Tulong Dunong program.
The names of the scholars were posted on Iligan City Rep. Frederick W. Siao’s Facebook page on Sep. 5.
These scholars are from twelve (12) public and private academic institutions in Iligan City and neighboring cities in Region X namely: Mindanao State University (MSU) – Iligan Institute of Technology (142), MSU-Naawan (27), Lyceum of Iligan Foundation (6), St. Michael’s College (38), Iligan Capitol College (7), Santa Monica Institute of Technology – Iligan (22), Master’s Technological Institute of Mindanao (3), St. Peter’s College (25), Adventist Medical Center College (1), Iligan Medical Center College (19), PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College (1), and Central Mindanao University (1).
The scholars will receive a financial assistance of 7,500 pesos per semester until they graduate provided that they have a passing general weighted average each semester.
Every year, Siao allocates a portion of his congressional budget to CHED to ensure that slots are available for Iliganon students under the Tulong Dunong program. This guarantees that Iligan City will not be left out in the commission’s scholarship program.
However, Siao clarified that the final list of students to be granted a scholarship status is not in his hands. His office simply facilitates the scholarship applications and submits the documents to CHED.
“Ato ning i-forward ang mga ngalan didto sa regional office [sa CHED]. Sila’y mu-review sa mga requirements ug qualifications sa mga applicants, and then sila ra pu’y mu-approve,” Siao said in his radio program on Sep. 10.
(We forward the names to the CHED regional office. They are in charge of reviewing the requirements and qualifications of the applicants, and they are also in charge of approving them.)
For those who were not accepted into the program, Siao said they could still apply again the next year.
“Pasensya kay dili nato mapasulod tanan tungod limited ang slots. Kung wala inyong mga ngalan karon, next year, pwede ra gihapon mo mu-apply,” Siao said.
Still, he assured that an even bigger budget will be allocated to the Tulong Dunong program next year since many of the congressmen at the House of Representatives want to give priority to education.
CHED’s Tulong-Dunong Program aims to support college students with financial aid needed to pursue their higher education. Requirements to qualify for the program include grades and a certain level of family income.
Siao has long been a strong advocate of education. He and his family created the Helping Other People through Education (HOPE) program, which aims to help Iliganon students in elementary and secondary with their fees in public school.
REP. FREDERICK W. SIAO
Lone District of Iligan City