FOR STUDENT IN NEED
ACCOUNTANT FELIX ERANO UY VALUED EDUCATION
as an armor against oppression and the inequalities of life. As a former student leader and activist, he believed that everyone is entitled to reach their dreams through good education.
“It is wrong to think that education is a privilege for the rich. Education is a right and everyone must have it,” he said.
Uy, 21, finished accountancy at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Taguig last December – but not after passing a subject which he failed twice.
He passed the board exam for
certified public accountants last May – but not without enduring the jab of economic reality that his family did not have enough money to support his review.
Money was tight for the Uy family. His mother left her job as domestic helper in the United Arab Emirates, while his father’s earnings from painting shirts were not enough for the sustenance of a family of five. “It was not that difficult when my mother was still working abroad. But it’s different now and we really have to tighten the belt,” he said.
Uy applied for work and got hired as accounting assistant for a company in Ermita, Manila. He worked eight hours daily, six days a week. He used his P12,000 salary to support his review center and help his family.
But it wasn’t enough, said Uy, adding that juggling work and the review was not easy.
“You want to focus on your studies but you can’t because there’s work to do. At the same time, my money was not enough,” he said.
Uy was close to skipping the exams last May until a classmate informed him of an ongoing scholarship program offered to residents of Taguig City.
“He said instead of quitting why don’t I avail of the scholarship?” he said.
The classmate is a resident of Taguig and son of a city hall employee.
He is also a beneficiary of Taguig City’s Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need or LANI Scholarship Program, which Uy applied for.
The program offers seven different type of scholarships, ranging from P5,000 basic financial assistance for incoming college students to P10,000 review assistance for those who will take the Bar and board examinations.
The basic financial assistance is guaranteed to all high school graduates living in Taguig. A college student living in Taguig, meanwhile, is also entitled to
P5,000 annual financial assistance as long as he is enrolled in any college or university in Metro Manila.
The top 10 graduates of any public high school in Taguig enrolled in a certificate or technical vocation courses, or any baccalaureate course, are entitled to P40,000 assistance. If the student maintains an average grade of 1.75 or higher, he can get another P10,000 incentive. The same benefit awaits students enrolled at the University of Philippines or in courses determined by the Committee on Higher Education as centers for excellence.
Other forms of scholarship are offered to outstanding government employees who want to pursue higher education; those enrolled in priority courses as determined by city government’s criteria.
The program is open to bona
fide Taguig residents, who have been staying in the city for a minimum of one year. Full requirements and criteria are posted on the Taguig City website.
The program is now on its second year and is operating on a P200-million budget, a 100 percent increase from 2010.
“I know the money we provide them is not enough, but somehow it helps their parents augment the household budget,” said city Mayor Lani Cayetano.
According to Cayetano, the program is a solution to the “steep drop out rate” in the city.
She said her camp conducted a survey before she assumed offi ce in June 2010, and discovered that many of the city’s youth drop out of school, usually because of
financial reasons.
As of 2010, more than 6,000 have availed of the scholarship, said Rafael Lopos, Cayetano’s consultant. Most of them – 32 percent – availed the basic scholarship.
Lopos said they designed the program not only to help the students go back to school but to encourage them to aim for higher grades.
For example, an honor student from a public high school in Taguig enrolled in UP or any other state university can avail of two types of scholarship. Depending on his average grade, the student can get additional incentives.
Lopos added that the city government crafted the requirements to make it easier for the applicants. The documents have been limited to proof of enrollment or school assessment form, certificate of good moral character, and their application form.
Students like Uy who are seeking review assistance are required to provide the city government with their certificate of graduation and an endorsement from the school certifying that the applicant is about to take the Bar or board examination.
“Our requirements are not as stringent compared to other scholarship programs. The aim here is to provide the residents the easiest means to go back to school,” he said.
“Too many requirements or restrictions can push the students away,” he explained.
Cayetano said it would be a “dream come true” if all graduating high school students would take advantage of the program.
“The money is there. We’ve allocated budget for all them. All they have to do is study,” Cayetano said.