Taguig scholars committed to public service

Taguig City’s heavy investment in the education of its residents has produced a happy development: scholars who voluntarily chose to work for the city government.

 

Case in point is Desiree F. Villas, a 21-year old first year law student who was a beneficiary of the city’s Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need when she was in college taking up Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences Major in Economics at University of the Philippines – Baguio where she also graduated Cum Laude last June 2015. Desiree is grateful for the generous opportunity given by the city and, as a way of paying back, decided to forego potential lucrative employment in the private sector by applying for a position at the local government. With her educational qualifications and achievements, she was offered a position at the Bids and Awards Committee where she is tasked with the technical and tedious issues of bidding procedures.

 

“If not for the local government’s scholarship program, I wouldn’t be able to finish my studies,” Desiree revealed. As the eldest in a brood of 4, she stressed that the scholarship did not only cover her educational needs but was also an additional source of financial assistance for her family.

 

Desiree’s superiors at the BAC Secretariat, who are mostly lawyers, are all praises for her as she has exhibited great enthusiasm at her job. Her exposure to the legal aspects of government procurement led to her dreaming of taking up law. She says she realized that a legal training is an effective tool in local government work when she saw how her superiors use their legal skills in navigating the complexities of government procurement procedures.

 

Her employment at the city government turned out to be timely, as the city expanded its scholarship program to residents who wish to take up law and medicine at top institutions. Despite the pressure of work, and notwithstanding such obstacles as traffic, Desiree decided to plunge into law studies. She is now on the second semester of her first year at Lyceum College of Law.

 

Desiree is still determined to finish law school within the standard four years. She manages to work full time during the day, then attends night classes for her law school.

 

Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano said the local government wants to help the students studying law and medicine because the city hopes of having its own doctors and lawyers who will serve one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. In the person of Desiree, such aim is likely to be achieved.

 

“In 2012, we decided that we should also extend the LANI scholarship program to our law and medicine students with the hope that through this program, we will be able to produce future lawyers and doctors who will soon look after our city,” Mayor Lani added. Education is one of the primary advocacies of Mayor Lani’s administration as she believes that it is a crucial key to social progress and human development.

 

Students of Taguig who are currently taking up law or medicine, subject to some qualification criteria, are eligible of the city’s Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need scholarship program under the Priority scholarship category.

 

The Priority scholarship is open to those enrolling in or enrolled in DOST-listed priority courses in DOST-listed schools, people with disabilities, and law and medicine students enrolled or enrolling in top performing schools — University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Far Eastern University, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, St. Luke’s College of Medicine or De La Salle University.

 

The scholars receive assistance through the semestral allowance of P40,000 to P50,000 which the students have the liberty to budget depending on their needs like books, dorm fee, uniform and weekly allowance. To date, there are  27 medical students and 52 law students who have already graduated from the program.

 

The City’s Policy and Scholarship Office explained that they are reviewing the implementation of the scholarship program every year and with the help of the applicants’ feedbacks, they have been refining the program in order to give the students convenience and better services. The scholarship office mentioned that they already asked a team to make a computerized system for the program which will make it easier for the students to apply for scholarship grants.

 

Pioneered in 2011, the city’s scholarship program has seven types of scholarship – Premier, Full, Priority, Basic + SUC/LCU, SUC/LCU, Basic, and Review – which basic qualifications include being a bona fide resident of Taguig for at least three years, a registered voter of the city if 18 years or older, with at least one of the parents to be also a registered voter of the city, and of good moral character.

 

For more information about the city’s scholarship program, interested applicants can reach out to them through their hotline number (555-7845) or visit their Facebook page Scholarship Secretariat (Taguig).

 

 

FILIPINO VERSION

 

Mga Iskolar ng Taguig, tapat sa serbisyo publiko

 

DUMARAMI ang mga iskolar na nais maglingkod sa bayan dahil sa patuloy na suporta ng Lungsod ng Taguig sa mga programa nitong pang-edukasyon.

 

Isang halimbawa nito si Desiree F. Villas, 21 taong gulang, first year law student at isang iskolar ng Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-need noong siya ay nag-aaral ng Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences Major in Economics sa University of the Philippines – Baguio kung saan siya nagtapos noong nakaraang Hunyo 2015 bilang Cum Laude. Malaki ang pasasalamat ni Desiree sa tulong na ibinigay ng lungsod kaya naman bilang pagtanaw ng utang na loob ay napagpasiyahan niya na maglingkod sa syudad na dahil sa kanyang angking kakayahan ay binigyan siya ng posisyon sa Bids and Awards Committee.

 

“Kung hindi po siguro dahil sa programa ng ating lokal na pamahalaan ay marahil hindi po ako makakapagtapos ng pag-aaral,” sabi ni Desiree.

 

Bilang panganay sa apat na magkakapatid, malaki ang tulong pinansyal na natatanggap ni Desiree hindi lang sa kanyang pag-aaral kundi pati na rin sa kanyang pamilya.

 

Bunsod ng ipinamamalas niyang galing sa trabaho, nakatanggap ng mga magagandang feedback si Desiree mula sa mga mas nakatataas sa kanya sa opisina ng BAC Secretariat na halos lahat ay mga abogado. Napagtanto rin niya na dahil sa mga legal na aspeto nakatuon ang kanyang trabaho ay napakahalaga at napakalaki ang tulong ng legal training para sa kanya na siyang naging puhunan upang mabuo ang pangarap niya na maging abogado.

 

Napapanahon din ang pagkakaroon niya ng posisyon sa lokal na pamahalaan kasabay ng pagpapalawak ng scholarship program sa mga residente ng lungsod na nais kumuha ng kursong abogasya at medisina sa mga natatanging unibersidad. Sa kabila ng bigat ng trabaho at trapiko, nagdesisyon pa rin si Desiree na mag-aral ng abogasya. Kasalukuyan siyang nasa ikalawang semestre ng kanyang unang taon sa Lyceum College of Law.

 

Kaugnay nito, pursigido si Desiree na matapos ang kanyang pag-aaral ng abogasiya sa loob ng apat na taon. Sa katunayan ay pumapasok siya sa kanyang trabaho sa umaga at pagdating naman ng gabi ay pumapasok siya sa klase.

 

Ayon kay Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, nais ng lokal na pamahalaan na matulungan ang bawat estudyante na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral ng abogasiya at medisina sa kadahilanang umaasa sila na magkakaroon ng sariling mga abogado at doktor na Taguigeño na handang magsilbi sa kanilang bayang pinanggalingan.

 

“Noong nakaraang 2012, naisipan namin na palawakin ang sakop ng LANI scholarship sa mga mag-aaral ng abogasya at medisina dahil sa nais ng lokal na pamahalaan na makagawa ng mga abogado at doktor na siyang mag-aalaga sa ating bayan ng Taguig,” wika ni Mayor Lani.

 

Isa ang edukasyon sa mga pinakaimportanteng isinusulong ng administrasyon ni Mayor Lani dahil naniniwala siyang malaki ang ginagampanan nito sa pag-unlad ng syudad.

 

Batay sa mga piling pamantayan ng programa, ang mga mag-aaral ng Taguig na kasalukuyang nag-aaral ng abogasya at medisina ay maaaring makapag-apply sa LANI scholarship program ng lungsod sa ilalim ng kategoryang Priority scholarship.

 

Ang Priority scholarship ay bukas sa mga nag-aaral ng DOST-listed priority courses sa mga DOST-listed schools, mga taong may kapansanan, at mga mag-aaral ng abogasya at medisina na nag-enroll or mag-eenroll pa lamang sa mga natatanging unibersidad — University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Far Eastern University, University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center, St. Luke’s College of Medicine at De La Salle University.

 

Nakatatanggap ng tulong ang mga iskolar sa pamamagitan ng semestral allowance na nagkakahalaga ng P40,000 hanggang P50,000 at may kalayaan ang mga mag-aaral na i-budget ito ayon sa kanilang mga pangangailangan kagaya ng libro, dorm fee, uniform at weekly allowance. Sa kasalukuyan ay mayroon nang 27 mag-aaral ng medisina at 52 mag-aaral ng abogasya ang nakapagtapos sa tulong ng programa.

 

Pinag-aaralan ng City’s Policy and Scholarship Office ang pagpapatupad ng scholarship program kada taon sa tulong ng mga feedback na kanilang natatanggap mula sa mga aplikante na siyang nagiging basehan nila upang mas mapaganda ang kanilang serbisyo sa mga mag-aaral. Dinagdag din ng scholarship office na balak na nilang gawing computerized system ang programa upang mas mapadali ang pag-aapply ng scholarship.

 

Mayroong pitong uri ang scholarship program ng lungsod na nagsimula noong 2011 – Premier, Full, Priority, Basic + SUC/LCU, SUC/LCU, Basic, at Review – na ang pangunahing kwalipikasyon ay pagiging isang tunay na residente ng Taguig na hindi bababa sa tatlong taon, pagiging rehistradong botante kung nasa edad 18 o mas matanda pa, isa sa mga magulang ay rehistradong botante  ng lungsod, at mayroong magandang moral na karakter.

 

Para sa mga karagdagang impormasyon, maaring tumawag ang mga interesadong aplikante sa kanilang hotline number (555-7845) o bisitahin ang kanilang Facebook page na Scholarship Secretariat (Taguig). ###