Cagayan de Oro City – Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are now proving to be worthy of the government’s human capital investment.
Eleven of the 56 student-grantees of the Expanded Students Grants in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) enrolled at the Mindanao State University (MSU)-Naawan in Misamis Oriental were among the university’s academic achievers for the first semester of school year 2014-2015.
During the ceremony, the university administrators conferred the award to the achievers in the ESGP-PA Family Day on February 27.
ESGP-PA is a college scholarship program of DSWD, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries.
Under the program, a student-grantee is entitled to a maximum grant of P60,000 per school year or P30,000 per semester for tuition and other school fees, textbooks or other learning materials, and stipend.
Spark of hope
Seventeen-year-old John Paul Ambaic, a native of Barangay Mahayahay, Manticao, Misamis Oriental, is among the awardees. He is a freshman student taking up Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Major in Mathematics.
“I am thankful to the national government, especially to DSWD, for giving me the chance to achieve my dreams,” he said.
Holding back his tears while talking, John Paul related that when he graduated from high school, he had doubts that he would be able to attend college because his parents could not afford to pay for the tuition fees.
Now that he is a beneficiary of the ESGP-PA, John Paul said he is assured of his future.
“Makatabang na gyud ko sa akong mga manghod ug ginikanan kung makahuman ko (I can help my younger siblings and parents if I finish my studies).”
John Paul is the eldest in a brood of three. For him, being the eldest made him realize that he has a responsibility to finish his studies and to help send his younger siblings to school.
John Paul’s mother, Lucel, is hopeful that with her son finishing college, their family would eventually move out of poverty.
With the high expectations coming from his parents, John Paul is not only determined to finish his studies, but is also firm on maintaining his excellent academic standing.
“Dahil sa Pantawid Pamilya, makakamit ko na ang aking mga pangarap at makakatulong sa aking pamilya. Tunay na kaya ko ang pagbabago sa tulong ng pamahalaan (Because of Pantawid Pamilya, I can reach my dreams and be able to help my family. It’s true that I can change for the better with the government’s help),” John Paul enthused.
No more promissory notes
Another ESGP-PA beneficiary, Mae Ann Ternate, 17, can heave a sigh of relief knowing that she will no longer be making promissory notes to the school registrar and cashier for delayed payment of tuition fees after being included in the program for the second semester.
Mae Ann, a resident of Barangay Gimaylan, Libertad, Misamis Oriental, said that despite her excellent performance in school, she was not assured of finishing college because her parents could not afford to pay for her educational expenses.
Now that she is a beneficiary of ESGP-PA, Mae Ann assured her parents and the MSU-Naawan Board of Regents that she would finish her studies with flying colors.
“Eto na ang simula ng pagbabago sa aming buhay upang makamit ko ang aking mga pangarap at makaahon sa kahirapan, sa tulong ng Pantawid Pamilya. (This is the start of positive change in our lives which will enable me to fulfill my dreams and rise up from poverty, with the help of Pantawid Pamilya.),” Mae Ann exulted.
Pantawid Pamilya is the government’s flagship program that invests in human capital. It ensures that children are in school and are kept healthy so that they can have a fighting chance to be part of inclusive growth.
As of January 25, 2015, there are 31,350 student-grantees nationwide under ESGP-PA. In Northern Mindanao alone, there are 2,037 student-grantees enrolled in eight CHED-accredited state colleges and universities. ###
