By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
Batac CITY—A total of 759 new scholars from the second district of Ilocos Norte received their notice of award at the Imelda Cultural Center in Batac City on October 11, 2019.
Funded under the “Tulong Dunong” program of the Commission on Higher Education’s tertiary education subsidy, each beneficiary will receive PHP12,000 worth of financial assistance per year.
During an orientation program with the new scholars and their parents, Danilo Bose, CHED Region 1 officer-in-charge explained the program is meant to ensure education to be accessible for all.
To qualify for the program, the applicant must be a high school graduate whose gross income of parents when combined must not exceed PHP400,000 per year. He or she must not also be a recipient of any CHED scholarship or financial assistance program.
Following the Supreme Court Ruling on the unconstitutionality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in November 2013, the administration of this PHP4.1 billion supplemental fund was re-channeled from the lawmakers directly to CHED as an agency of the Executive Department.
Rep. Eugenio Angelo M. Barba (Ilocos Norte, 2nddistrict) led the distribution of notice of award to the new scholars.
“We have simplified the requirements to accommodate more scholars,” said Mr. Barba as he reported the maximum annual income of parents was decreased from PHP400,000 to PHP300,000.
Lawmakers are still allowed to recommend their beneficiaries to CHED, and existing beneficiaries will continue to receive assistance as long as they meet the guidelines stipulated by the Commission.
In Ilocos Norte, Mr. Barba reported that the beneficiaries are currently enrolled both in public and private schools in the province under the CHED program.
Previous CHED scholars in Ilocos Norte account to 457 beneficiaries.