THE Cebu City Council authorized Mayor Michael Rama last Wednesday to enter into an agreement with Tesda and 13 colleges and universities for the implementation of the program.
Councilor Jose Daluz, chairman of the council committee on budget and finance, said that city government had again allocated P100 million for this year’s scholarship program, aimed at sending children of indigent families to college for free.
Although the semester had already started and the scholars admitted in school, the city had no memorandum of agreement the with participating schools to legitimize their partnership.
Under the program, the city government is giving out P20,000 as financial assistance to its scholars, who are enrolled in four year to five year courses.
Cash assistance will be released at P10,000 per semester and may be spent on tuition and other miscellaneous payments.
Participating colleges and universities are required to forward the scholars respective billings to the city twice every semester and provide the city with a narrative report on the implementation of the scholarship program in their schools and the competency of government scholars.
Rama said education was one of the priority concerns of his administration.
“Padayon natong gimatuto ang atong kabatan-onan pinaagi sa paggahin ug pundo alang sa paglambo sa atong City’s Scholarship Program nga nakatabang sa mokabat 5, 800 ka mga scholars,” the mayor said in the State of the City Address which he delivered before 10,000 Cebuanos last Friday.
The participating schools include the Cebu Institute of Technology University, Cebu Eastern College, Informatics Computer Institute, Center for Industrial Technology, College Technological Sciences, Cebu Technological University, University of Cebu, University of the Philippines – Visayas, University of the Visayas, Cebu Mary Immaculate College, Don Bosco Technology, Cebu Normal University and Banilad Center for Professional Development. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac