Avail tertiary scholarship programs, DSWD urges 4Ps beneficiaries

DAVAO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development-)Davao Region (DSWDDavao) is urging its Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries, including those who have already exited the program, to take advantage of the tertiary scholarship programs being offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

While the assistance under 4Ps only covers the beneficiaries’ basic education, DSWD XI is currently collaborating with CHED-Davao Region (CHED-Davao) to encourage its beneficiaries to avail of the free tertiary education program.

The collaboration will be engaging with all 4Ps families in the region that have senior high school graduates to be oriented on CHED’s scholarship programs, said Margie Cabido, chief of DSWD-Davao Pantawid Pamilya Management Division.

She said that their case managers and social workers have been instructed to cascade CHED’s scholarship program to 4Ps beneficiaries in the region during family development sessions.

They are also tapping local radio stations to widely inform their beneficiaries about other government educational programs.

“The intention is to cascade and inform our beneficiaries that there are other opportunities outside DSWD and outside 4Ps that they can consider and avail of, such as the scholarship program of CHED,” Cabido said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw of the Philippine Information Agency-Davao Region and SM City Davao on January 22.

CHED-Davao education supervisor Louie Juera reiterated that free higher education, under the Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, has been implemented and benefited qualified students, especially those belonging to poor households, including 4Ps.

To qualify for the program, he explained that the incoming college students of 4Ps members have only to pass the admission requirements and be enrolled in any state university and college (SUC) or local university and college (LUC).

In Davao Region, Juera said that there are six SUCs and five LUCs covered by the free higher education provision.

These SUCs are Davao de Oro State College, Davao del Norte State College, Davao del Sur State College, Davao Oriental State University, Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine Aquatic School of Technology, and the University of Southeastern Philippines.

For LUCs, these are Governor Generoso College of Arts, Science and Technology; Kapalong College of Agriculture, Science and Technology; Kolehiyo ng Pantukan; Monkayo College of Arts, Science and Technology; and Sto. Tomas College of Agriculture and Technology.

Juera advised those incoming college students of 4Ps members to first locate the nearest SUC or LUC in their locality, or decide which school they want to go to; visit their official website; and check for the programs offered and the admission requirements and procedures.

CHED is also offering the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) for all students currently enrolled in both private and public higher education institutions. /