THE Davao City Government will provide tertiary scholarship assistance to 9,500 qualified individuals through the Tulong Dunong Scholarship Program.
Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) supervising commissioner for Mindanao Norman Baloro, who is in charge of the Tulong Dunong, told SunStar Davao that the scholarship was originally intended for the affected public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers and operators of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) Project of the city government.
Tulong Dunong, a joint project of the local government and the Commission on Higher Education (Ched), has a budget of P300 million allocated for 20,000 beneficiaries from families whose income will be affected by the city's bus modernization program.
However, only 500 drivers and operators qualified after a series of screening. Baloro said some of the affected drivers and operators' children have not yet reached the tertiary level.
"Sayang kon dili siya mautilize (It would be a waste if we do not use it). So we requested Ched for a consideration to allow outside HPBS beneficiaries, but with the same kind of situation - the poorest of the poor," Baloro said.
Among those who will be prioritized are the following: bonafide resident of Davao City; those children of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have lost their work, repatriated and residents who lost their jobs (in the formal sector); those who have not availed the Eskwela Davao Program; those who have not availed of any scholarship grant; those whose annual income of parents does not exceed P400,000; those enrolled in college since the school year 2019 until the present; and those college students enrolled in Ched-accredited institutions.
He said the scholarship program will provide P7,500 per semester to 9,500 target beneficiaries for four academic years starting 2019, and onwards.
Baloro, meanwhile, clarified that this is not social assistance related to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic similar to Work For Davao and Eskwela Dabaw.
Prior to the pandemic, we have the money (for the program)," the official said.
Interested beneficiaries, he said, should send their email to tulongdunong.cgd@gmail.com, providing the following information: complete name; date of birth; sex; complete address; school enrolled; course; year level during the school year 2019-2020; father’s name and occupation; mother’s maiden name and occupation; contact number (active); and email address.
He said the screening committee will thoroughly screen qualified beneficiaries.
The deadline for submission of the application will be on or before July 31, 2020.
HPBS, Davao City’s mass transportation modernization program employing more or less 1,000 buses, was initially targeted to commence within the first half of 2020.
However, Baloro said there are still no clear guidelines for the bus system as of press time.