CAPITOL HANDS OUT SCHOLARSHIPS

679 children of poor families enroll in college under Capitol’s Paglaum Scholarship Program

For 18-year-old Jo-Anne Tatoy, finishing college and saving her family from poverty are part of her life’s goals.

But Tatoy, a resident of Barangay Binabag in Bogo City, admitted that poverty has often been a hindrance to realizing her dreams.

The youngest of four children of farmers, Tatoy said her parents can only spend for their needs on a day-to-day basis.

To help their parents, the siblings work as farmhands in a hacienda in their village. But their earnings were not enough to get her to college.

This changed when she became a recipient of Cebu Provincial Government’s Paglaum Scholarship program.

Tatoy is currently enrolled in University of Cebu-Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue campus.

“I will not waste this opportunity,” Tatoy said.

A Paglaum scholar receives a tuition assistance of P10,000 and a monthly stipend of P1,500.

What makes the program different is that all low-income students in Cebu Province, whether he or she has an exemplary performance in high school, can qualify.

Beneficiaries can be indigents; victims of crimes such as rape, drug abuse, or human trafficking, among others; and children of drug dependents, dysfunctional families, solo parents and deceased parents, among others.

Capitol officials led by Gov. Hilario Davide III and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale led the distribution of scholarship certificates to 679 recipients yesterday.