SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
SM Foundation’s endeavors in education would not be complete without its scholarship program for college and technical-vocational (tech-voc) students.
Its college scholarship program, which started 25 years ago, is the longest-running program the foundation has initiated. There are now 2,000 college scholars enrolled in 92 partner schools nationwide. Since the program started in 1993, almost 3,000 college scholars have graduated and are now employed in various sectors here and abroad.
Among them is 21-year-old Medjugorge Uy from Tonsuya, Malabon, who graduated summa cum laude in Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in English at the National University in 2016. She grew up in a shack inside a construction yard, where her mother and stepfather raised her. Growing up, she helped her mother sell rags,
lumpiang Shanghai, and maruya to make ends meet and to have money for school.
Another success story is Mark Vincent Fuentes from Tunga, Leyte, and is a fourth-year student of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at St. Paul University. “After graduation, I will work part time and study Real Estate Management. I will be a working student and hope to work in SM City Ormoc once it opens. When Super Typhoon Yolanda hit Ormoc, I clung to a jug of water as a floater and when I saw a cabinet I clung to it too. That saved my life,” Fuentes said.
College tuition and miscellaneous fees are fully funded by SM Foundation during the course of the scholars’ studies. A monthly stipend is released to take care of other school requirements. SM Foundation requires that the scholar’s family should have an income not exceeding P150,000 annually.
The foundation also organizes special activities for the scholars, such as the annual general assembly, recollection, Christmas party, and presentation of graduates. The annual presentation of graduates is an occasion when they and their parents get to personally thank their benefactors led by SM founder Henry Sy, Sr. and family. During the same event, they receive
job offers from the various SM companies.
The scholarship program was primarily established for public high school graduates. However, with the adoption of the K to 12 curriculum, the scholarship is now available to public high school graduates with DepEd vouchers after completing Grade 10.
The tech-voc scholarship program opened 10 years ago to help out-of-school youth acquire highly employable skills within two years. Around 2,000 tech-voc scholars are now enrolled in 32 partner schools nationwide, imparting scholars with tech-voc skills in food and beverage, welding, carpentry, machine repair, refrigeration and air conditioning, among others. The industry partners of these partner schools provide hands-on training to better prepare the scholars for work. Upon graduation, the scholars are holders of National Certificate II (NCII) issued by Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). These certificates are now honored by related industries in ASEAN countries.
“SM has a wide presence all over the country and there are many bright students out there who, save for financial constraints, are well equipped with the necessary talents, knowledge and attitude to excel in their chosen courses. Our biggest challenge is to find the most deserving and include them in the program, we share their dreams of a better tomorrow for themselves, their families, and communities and the country,” said SM Foundation executive director for education Linda Atayde.
“Our biggest challenge is to find the most deserving and include them in the program, we share their dreams of a better tomorrow for themselves, their families, and communities and the country.”