By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
LAOAG CITY—Good news to all scholars of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte.
Starting the second semester of this school year, the 560 academic and technical and vocational scholars of the provincial government scholars will receive stipend increase of PHP2,500 to PHP3,850 each.
This came following the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s approval of the Integrated Provincial Scholarship Ordinance which aims to unify all the six classifications of scholarships offered at the Ilocos Norte government.
These scholarship grants include those who excel in academic, youth leaders, technical and vocational students, athletes, medical students and senior high school students
Owing to the increasing prices of basic commodities and living allowances, Carolyn Agcaoili, education research assistant I of the Provincial Education Office said that for academic scholars, they will now be entitled to receive a stipend of PHP20,000 each per semester from the original PHP16,150; while the technical and vocational scholars will receive PHP10,000 each per semester from the previous PHP7,500.
“We are expecting to have more scholars this year with the increase of stipends. For academic scholars, we have 400 slots per semester and the technical-vocational scholars have 160 slots,” said Ms. Agcaoili.
Other scholarship grants offered by the provincial government are the Sirib (knowledge) youth leaders with 470 slots; senior high school (SHS) with 1,000 slots; and medical students with a few limited slots.
According to Ms. Agcaoili, the 470 youth leader scholars will receive PHP16,000 each per semester while the 1,000 SHS scholars will receive PHP1,000 educational assistance.
Meanwhile, it was learned that pre-screening for applicants under the medical scholarship grant at the Mariano Marcos State University, College of Medicine is still ongoing.