MANILA, Philippines - The Taguig City government on Monday distributed college education vouchers to more than 7,000 public high school graduates of the city that they could use to pay for tuition and other school fees.
“I believe that education is a right, not a privilege. No student in Taguig should ever be prevented from studying in college by their mere station in life,†said Tagiug Mayor Lani Cayetano.
The vouchers, each worth P5,000, can only be converted into cash by any of the 7,242 graduates of the 12 Taguig public high schools once they pursue higher education.
“It is my administration’s mission to provide all of our high school graduates an opportunity to go to college and reach out for their dreams. Through these education vouchers, we hope that parents would be motivated to send their kids to college,†Cayetano said.
“It is my firm belief that if we help our youth pursue their dreams, not only will they help their families live better lives but it will help our city as well,†she added.
According to Cayetano, the vouchers could be used in enrollment in any college or university, even those outside of Taguig City, or for technical and vocational courses.
“And if these vouchers are not enough to pay for tuition, we made sure that we poured in P300 million in our scholarship program to somehow help ease the cost of enrolment,†Cayetano said.
Meanwhile, the Taguig City Council has recently given the green light to increase from P200 million to P300 million the funds for the Lifeline assistance for Neighbors In-Need (LANI) Scholarship Program, which has given away over 24,000 scholarships so far.
Cayetano said the education vouchersare part of the LANI Scholarship Program that has seven basic categories to which any Taguig resident can apply.
The seven basic categories of the LANI Scholarship program include the following: basic scholarship or financial assistance; full scholarships; state universities and colleges (SUCs) and local universities and colleges (LUCs) scholarships; premier/specialized schools scholarships; leaders and educators advancement and development (LEAD); review assistance program for bar and board reviewees; and priority courses and skills training.
“I am certain that with our scholarship program, we send our constituents a clear message that education is a priority of the city of Taguig,†she said.