THE Victorias Milling Company (VMC) has entered into an agreement with three colleges in Bacolod City to provide financial assistance to deserving students in pursuing their tertiary education at Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod City recently.

VMC President Minnie Chua said she hopes these students who are given access to formal education will “be encouraged to stay in their communities and help uplift their own localities upon graduation.”

Under the VMC Foundation Miguel Ossorio Scholarship Grant, students from the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas (TUP-V) and Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod (CSAB) will have an opportunity to avail of financial grant per semester.

The grant will cover their tuition fees and allowance for books and supplies expenses starting this school year.

“This is one opportunity for our youths who have skills and potentials but have financial challenges to pursue and harness their abilities,” Chua said, adding that “we are here to help and we hope that someday they too will be inspired to make a difference, not only in the lives of their families, but to their communities as well.”

Under the program, VMC will screen and award the grants to the students while the institutional partners will be responsible to monitor and update the foundation of the students’ progress.

The academic institutions shall also provide sufficient educational services and assistance to the scholars.

The scholarship grant is named after Miguel Ossorio, the founder of VMC that established the sugar mill in 1919. (PR)