MANILA, Philippines — Marikina Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro signed on Monday a city ordinance offering medical scholarships to aspiring doctors in the city.
City Ordinance No. 078, Series 2019 — the Libreng Pag-aaral sa Pagdodoktor Para sa Marikeños — offers scholarships in the following nine medical schools in Metro Manila:
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
- Far Eastern University
- Emilio Aguinaldo College
- Manila Central University
- University of Santo Tomas
- Fatima University
- University of the East
- University of Perpetual Help System DALTA
- St. Lukes College of Medicine
Each scholarship covers various expenses such as tuition, transportation, allowances, board and lodging allowances, uniforms, textbooks, and other necessary supplies.
The amount granted will also be determined by the chairman of the Medical Scholarship Board, which is composed of the mayor sitting as its chairman, the vice mayor as vice chairman, and the chairman of the Committee on Education of the City Council.
Teodoro said Marikina medical scholars, on passing the board exam, must render two years of professional service to the city from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Following are the requirements for aspiring applicants:
- Must have passed the entrance examination for medicine in any of the above-mentioned schools.
- Must be a bonafide Marikina resident
- Must not be more than 30 years of age on graduating from a pre-medicine course
- Must submit a letter of intent to avail of the scholarship
- Has obtained any bachelor’s degree that is construed as pre-medicine courses.
- Has passed and endorsed by the Medical Scholarship Grant Secretariat and the Medical Scholarship Board
The ordinance was primarily authored by Vice Mayor Marion Andres, who is also a medical doctor by profession.
“I am also a beneficiary of a college scholarship that’s why I was able to study medicine despite coming from a poor family. My father was a war veteran that’s why I was able to avail of a medical scholarship,” Andres said.
Marikina aims to implement the program in the next academic year.
/atm