Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inquirer Foundation welcome new scholars

Jasmine Abbygail Boiser, Angel Dale Yabut and Jean Loriele Raoet

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Daily Inquirer, together with the Inquirer Foundation, welcomes the new batch of students receiving grants under the Inquirer Journalism Scholarship Program for School Year 2021 to 2022.

The Inquirer partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Mass Communication in coming up with a shortlist of students who have maintained grades not lower than 1.75 and are in need of financial assistance to pursue their passion for journalism as a career.

Changing landscape

The grant includes a monthly stipend, allowances for books, school supplies, telco and internet services, a graduation gift, an Inquirer internship and a chance to be offered a job in the company within six months after graduation.

Selected as Inquirer scholars for the coming school year are Jasmine Abbygail Boiser, Angel Dale Yabut and Jean Loriele Raoet. The three UP Mass Communication students are currently running for magna cum laude.

Boiser described herself as a diligent and determined student who hopes to acquire the communication and writing skills needed to excel in online or print journalism, marketing or freelance copywriting. Her father is an overseas worker based in Cambodia and her mother is a housewife.

“With the Inquirer scholarship grant, the future is ripe with opportunities for young journalists like me to hone our skills, develop new talents and adapt to the changing [media] landscape,” said Boiser as she thanked the newspaper for the assistance.

Working student

Yabut, whose father is a government employee, said it had been her dream since grade school to be a features writer. Most of her works as a campus writer had been in English and she would like to produce stories in Filipino as well.

Yabut said she was grateful and honored to be chosen for the scholarship, which came at a time of “relentless attacks on the freedom of thought and the press.’’ For the new Inquirer scholar, “journalism remains at the forefront [of the fight] to protect democracy.”

Raoet’s father earns a living as a company driver and the family’s sari-sari store was forced to close down recently as business suffered due to the pandemic. To support her studies, she has done part-time jobs in companies or projects related to finance, education advocacy, knowledge management and corporate social responsibility.

“Coming from an underprivileged background, I am beyond grateful for being chosen as one of the scholars of the prestigious Inquirer scholarship grant,’’ Raoet said.

‘’Aside from meeting my academic requirements, I have always tried to look for part-time jobs every month for extra cash. Being an Inquirer scholar will surely help me focus on my studies. [It] motivates me to strive harder not just for myself but, more importantly, for the people I want to touch with my stories.’’

In a message to the new scholars, Inquirer president and chief executive officer Rudyard Arbolado said: “Education and youth empowerment are just one of the advocacies that the Inquirer staunchly supports. We have always been at the forefront of improving the journalism profession with credibility, integrity and responsible journalism as the paramount consideration.’’

72 and counting

“Through this scholarship grant, we hope to support and mentor the next generation to carry on our commitment to practice excellent journalism that instills action in a time of constant technological changes. We have nurtured 72 scholars since the program started and most of them became award-winning journalists and executives in other fields,’’ Arbolado added.

Established in 1993, the Inquirer Journalism Scholarship Program has extended financial assistance to more than 70 students from top schools such as UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the East.