THE Cebu Provincial Government is amending its student grant program to include 2,500 scholarship slots allocated to the governor’s office and 1,000 to the vice governor’s office on top of the existing 100 slots allocated to each Provincial Board member.
The ordinance, which has passed its second reading, also expands the program to allow Cebuano students in public universities within Central Visayas to apply.
The Cebu Province Grants Intended for Tertiary Students (CP-Gifts) program has an estimated budget of P150 million for 2026.
A resolution by Provincial Board Member Raymond Joseph Calderon proposed the amendments and the budget for the program next year.
“Before, the allocations were only given to Provincial Board members. Now, we have also given allocations to the office of the vice governor and the office of the governor because many people ask them for that kind of assistance. This way, it will not be difficult for them to refuse. We just gave them allocations,” said Calderon in Cebuano.
Calderon said the grant is intended as cash assistance for the students’ monthly needs, not for tuition.
Beneficiaries of the CP-Gifts will receive a monthly stipend of P2,000, which amounts to P10,000 per semester.
The amended ordinance also aims to expand the program’s coverage to allow Cebuano students to receive the financial aid even if they attend state universities and colleges outside Cebu.
The program is currently limited to students studying in schools within the province. / CDF