ABOUT 150 slots are being prepared for the Atong Taga-an og Oportunidad ang Nangandoy nga Atleta (Ato Na) Athletes’ Scholarship Program of Davao City, according to an official from the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO).
Justine Marie Adobo, Executive Program Director of the SDD-CMO, said that under their proposal, they allocated 50 slots for the full scholarship, while more than 100 slots are allotted for the partial scholarship.
Under the full scholarship program, recipients will receive a total of P25,000, consisting of P20,000 for tuition assistance and P5,000 for sports equipment. Partial scholarship recipients in Junior High School and Senior High School will receive P5,000 annually, while tertiary students under the partial scholarship program will be granted P5,000 per semester.
Mikey Aportadera, head of the SDD-CMO, said they are polishing the program and are closely coordinating with the Educational Benefit System Unit (Ebsu) so that the scholarship program for athletes would be in sync with the existing scholarship program of the city government.
He also clarified that there are no specific sports that would be prioritized for the scholarship as long as the athletes have represented Davao City nationally or internationally.
“Gisigurado nga han-ay ang tanan, and then I think by September mag-start nami (We have ensured that everything is in order, and I think we'll be able to start by September),” he said during the ISpeak media forum on June 25, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The scholarship provides financial assistance to the athletes every semester so that they would be able to continue their studies while training for their chosen sports.
Athletes who are interested in applying must have been residents of Davao City for at least three years and be enrolled in schools recognized by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (Ched), Alternative Learning System (ALS), or Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) in the city.
Meanwhile, junior and senior high school applicants must be graduates of public or private primary schools in the city.
For tertiary-level athletes, they must have a good athletic record from previous semesters or the previous academic year, or have achievements in sports competitions. RGP
