THIS is in reply to the letter of Ms. Xandra Monicka B. Tomarong regarding the abolition of the Paglaum Scholarship Program which appeared in your paper on Oct. 23, 2019.
At the outset, I wish to emphasize that during her first three terms, Governor Gwen initiated this scholarship program thru the Cebu Tertiary Education Assistance Program (CTEAP). The program was premised on academic excellence whereby student-scholars had to maintain a grade point average of 80 percent or more to retain the scholarship. It is worth mentioning that the CTEAP model produced several honor graduates and board topnotchers.
The Paglaum Scholarship Program has an entirely different model where the only academic qualification to be eligible is by maintaining a passing grade in all subjects or a 75 percent mark. The other qualifications under the Paglaum scholarship model are:
1) Residents, male or female, of Cebu Province;
2.) 16 to 30 years of age upon acceptance;
3.) Victims of the following:
3.a) Rape
3.b) Human Trafficking or Trafficking in persons
3.c) Drug Abuse
3.d) Any form of child abuse
3.e) Children of the following:
3.e.1) Dysfunctional family
3.e.2) Solo Parent
3.e.3) Drug Dependents
3.e.4) Deceased Parents
3.e.5) Marginalized Sectors
3.e.6) Differently-Abled Parents
3.e.7) Less Fortunate and Poor Sectors
4.) Educable Applicants;
5.) Not a recipient of any other public or private grants;
6.) Those who maintain a passing grade in all subjects; and
7.) Those whose family income is below the poverty threshold.
These qualifications have significantly loosened the selection process so much so that anyone who is impoverished can avail themselves of the benefit. A very loose screening process puts in danger the objectivity of the selection process whereby a beneficiary may be preferred based solely on their parent’s or their own political affiliations.
We must remember that the raison d’etre of an academic scholarship is to grant a privilege that should be earned by the financially underprivileged but academically deserving students. Prudence dictates that a passing grade is not enough of an academic qualification for Provincial funds to be allocated for a scholarship program where a student is more of a “beneficiary” rather than an “academic scholar.”
For school year 2018–2019, of the almost 1,500 beneficiaries of the Paglaum Scholarship program, there were students who were disqualified from the program because they received poor failing grades and could not even make it to the 75 percent passing mark. Lamentably, one of the student scholars received failing marks in all his subjects for a semester. This is far from the standard of excellence envisioned when the scholarship program was started by Governor Gwen in her first three terms and, to be candid, is a poignant misuse of provincial funds.
The Provincial Government will pay for the tuition fees of the remaining 392 beneficiaries who are graduating and who have already graduated under the Paglaum Scholarship Program. Furthermore, the Province will cover the tuition fees of the other Paglaum scholars for as long as they are able to meet the 85 percent general weighted average requirement under the Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students Scholarship program.
In reverting to the previous policy on scholarship which makes academic qualification the foremost consideration in the grant of the privilege, the provincial government is just being judicious in spending limited government resources. The 85 percent general weighted average requirement guarantees impartiality in the selection process as quality scholars will be selected based on merit rather than on political affiliations or any other impertinent qualification.
We must remember that Government is a public trust. A trust bestowed upon public officials by the Cebuanos. It is one that carries the corresponding duty of carefully managing the funds and resources of the Province. (By Frank Eduard C. Dinsay V, Chief of Staff, Office of the Governor)