Taguig increases allowance of city scholars; expands coverage of Merit Incentive Program

Better opportunities await students

 

Conscientious students in the city have yet again a reason to celebrate.

 

For this school year, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano has increased the allowances of Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need (LANI) scholars, a big morale booster to these adolescents who hit the books ever so frequently.

 

Those availing of Basic, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)/Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs); and Basic Plus scholarship types will now receive P15,000 and P20,000, respectively, each set of students receiving a whopping P5,000-increase per school year.

 

“We hope that through this, many of them will graduate and finish with flying colors. Because with excellence among our constituents, we may truly think big, dream big not just now but especially in the years to come,” the mayor said. She also added that this is her way to encourage Taguigeños to study and to continue to excel.

 

Last Thursday (July 13), a total of 1,293 LANI scholars were the first to experience the upgraded educational assistance after they received their allowance during the first batch of LANI scholarship allowance distribution for this semester at the Taguig City University (TCU) Auditorium. Every semester, the city distributes scholarship allowances to three batches of scholars usually composed of around 13,000 students, under the program, which was pioneered in 2011 with an initial budget of P100-million.

 

The allowance given ranged from P15,000 to P60,000, depending on what type of scholarship the student has availed of — Premier, Full, Priority, Basic, SUC/LCU, Basic Plus, Leadership and Educators Advancement and Development (LEAD) or Review.

 

Mayor Lani also expanded the coverage of the Merit Incentive Program of the LANI scholarship program by extending it to those in Basic; SUCs/LUCs; and Basic Plus scholarship types. Prior to this, only those under the Full; Premier; and Priority scholarship types enjoy the P5,000 per semester Merit Incentive.

 

The Merit Incentive Program is for scholars with semestral weighted average (WA) of 1.75 or higher (or its equivalent). Thus, one whose WA is 1.75 or higher every semester gets additional P10,000 on top of their allowances. This means that those under these scholarship types can receive as much as P25,000 to P30,000 every school year depending on their WA.

 

Additionally, allowances for Taguig graduates who are preparing for their licensure or bar examinations have been increased to P20,000 for those taking law, medical, bar and board exams; and P15,000 for other professions.

 

Those seeking post-graduate degrees should not feel left out. Mayor Lani rationalized the allowances being given to those taking up Masteral (MA) or Doctoral (PhD) degrees, and increased the amount being given to those under the Taguig Learners’ Certificate (TLC) program. From P5,000, each of the 5,000 grantees in 47 private partner schools will now receive P10,000 per school year.

 

The city’s scholarship program–which now counts with a P625-million fund–requires beneficiaries to have basic qualifications including being a bona fide resident of Taguig for at least three years, being a registered voter of the city if 18 years or older, having at least one parent registered as a voter in the city, and having good moral character.

 

Around 42,000 scholars are enrolled in various institutions including the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University under the program, which has produced board topnotchers and licensed professionals.

 

To date, the LANI scholarship program has helped produce 15 board topnotchers, with 2 placing first nationwide in their respective board exams. This year, LANI scholars Engr. Guiseppe Andrew B. Buffe and Engr. Ronald Ian T. Borja ranked first and 10th in the Aeronautical Engineering Licensure Examination and Electrical Engineer Board Examination, respectively.

 

In Dec. 2015, the city honored around 70 scholars who graduated with flying colors–as summa, magna or cum laude–in their respective universities. By the end of the year, the city will give recognition to at least 90 who graduated with the distinction, and who have so far submitted their application. The number is still bound to go up as the city continues to receive scholar-applicants who have just graduated or will graduate before December 2017.

 

The city-run Taguig City University (TCU) also continues to offer free college education so high school graduates can pursue education up to the tertiary level. TCU students are also full scholars of the city since the local government shoulders all their tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses. ###

 

 

FILIPINO VERSION

 

Allowance ng scholars sa Taguig dinagdagan; Merit Incentive Program ng lungsod lalo pang pinalawak

 

Malugod na ikinatuwa ng mga estudyanteng scholar ng pamahalaang lungsod ng Taguig ang ipinatupad na karagdagang allowances sa mga Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need (LANI) scholars at sa paglawak ng coverage ng programang Merit Incentive.

 

Para sa mga estudyanteng nasa ilalim ng scholarship program na Basic, State Universities and Colleges (SUCs)/Local Colleges and Universities (LCUs) at Basic Plus, may ipinatupad na karagdagang P5,000 per school year ang mga scholar.

 

Sa mga dating nakakatanggap ng P10,000 sa ilalim ng Basic SUCs/LCUs ay magiging P15,000 na ito samantalang ang dating P15,000 sa ilalim ng Basic Plus ay magiging P20,000 na ito.

 

“Kami ay nagagalak na sa darating na mga taon ay darami na rin ang mga estudyanteng may kakayanang makatapos ng pag-aaral at makakuha ng dekalidad na edukasyon para maka-ahon sa buhay. Ang karagdagang halaga para sa mga scholar ay makakahikayat din sa iba pang mga estudyante na ipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral at makapagtapos,” wika ni Mayor Lani Cayetano.

 

Nitong nakaraang Hulyo 13, nasa 1,293 LANI scholars ang mga unang nakatanggap ng ipinatupad na mas mataas na educational assistance ngayong semestre sa distribution ceremony sa Taguig City University (TCU) auditorium. Kada semestre ay merong tatlong batch ang pagbibigay ng scholarship allowance sa halos 13,000 na estudyante.

 

Ang scholarship allowance na ipinamigay ay nasa P15,000 hanggang P60,000 kada scholar depende sa scholarship type na Premier, Full, Priority, Basic, SUC/LCU, Basic Plus, Leadership and Educators Advancement and Development (LEAD) or Review.

 

Saad pa ni Mayor Lani na pinalawak na rin ang sakop ng Merit Incentive Program ng LANI scholarship program dahil sinasakop na rin nito ang mga merong existing scholarship sa ilalim ng Basic; SUCs/LUCs; and Basic Plus scholarship types.

 

Noong araw ay pawang mga nasa Full; Premier; at Priority scholarship types lamang ang nakakakuha ng P5,000 Merit Incentive kada semestre.

 

Ang Merit Incentive Program ay nakalaan sa mga scholar na may miniminteneng grado o semestral weighted average (WA) na 1.75 o mas mataas pa.

 

Ang mga scholar na merong WA na 1.75 o mas mataas pa ay kada semestre ay nakakakuha ng ayudang P10,000 sa kabila pa ng kanilang scholarship allowance.

 

Para naman sa allowances ng mga Taguig graduates na naghahanda para sa kanilang licensure o bar examinations, itinaas na rin sa P20,000 ang halagang nakukuha para sa mga kumukuha ng law, medical, bar at board exams; at P15,000 naman para sa ibang professions.

 

Sa post-graduate degrees naman ay ginawa na ni Mayor Lani na rationalized ang allowances na ibinibigay sa mga kumukuha ng Masteral (MA) o Doctoral (PhD) degree at itinaas na rin ang ibinibigay sa ilalim ng Taguig Learners’ Certificate (TLC) program. Mula P5,000, kada scholar na aabot sa 5,000 grantees sa 47 na private partner schools ay magiging P10,000 na ito kada school year.

 

Ang scholarship program ng Taguig — na ngayong taon ay meron nang P625 milyong pondo — ay hinihingi na ang mga benepisyaryo nito ay pumasa sa mga qualifications kagaya ng pagiging residente ng Taguig nang hindi bababa sa tatlong taon, nakarehistrong botante sa lungsod kung siya ay 18 taong gulang o mas matanda pa, merong isa sa kanyang mga magulang na nakarehistro din na botante ng lungsod, at may good moral character.

 

Aabot na sa 42,000 LANI scholars ang naka-enroll sa iba’t-ibang institusyon kabilang na ang University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University.

 

Sa ngayon, nagtala na ang LANI scholarship ng 15 na Top 10 Board passers at dalawa sa mga ito ang naging topnotcher sa buong bansa sa kanilang kinuhang board exams.

 

Ngayong taon, ang mga LANI scholars na sina Engr. Guiseppe Andrew B. Buffe ay nanguna sa Aeronautical Engineering Licensure Examination habang pangsampu naman si Engr. Ronald Ian T. Borja sa Electrical Engineer Board Examination.

 

Noong Disyembre 2015, pinarangalan ng syudad ang 70 scholars na nagtapos ng summa cum laude at magna cum laude. At bago matapos ang taon ay paparangalan naman ang mahigit 90 na graduates na may Latin distinction na nagsumite ng kanilang application. Nakatakda pa na tumaas ang bilang ng paparangalan dahil patuloy pa rin ang pagpasok ng mga aplikante para maging scholar bago ang Disyembre 2017. ###