MANILA, Philippines — SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), together with SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI), Don Bosco One TVET Phils. Inc. and the city government of Pasay recently welcomed 20 scholars to the SM-Pasay Technical-Vocational Scholarship Program via an online conferencing platform.
The scholars, all from underprivileged families in Pasay, underwent screening and selection before being awarded a full tech-voc scholarship covering tuition, monthly allowance and various enrichment activities.
The 15-month training is composed of 10 months in-campus academic learning and five months on-the-job training for the following tech-voc courses: Automotive Servicing NC I, Electrical Installation & Maintenance NC II, Machining NC II; Mechatronics Servicing NC II, Shielded Metal Arc Welding NC II, and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning NC II.
SM Prime AVP for public relations Rida Reyes formally welcomed the scholars and their parents to the program.
Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano, through a video message, said SM’s program is an “important step in improving the scholars’ quality of life.”
SM Prime SVP Fred Mison said in any endeavor, a dream will become a reality if there is hard work, dedication and prayers.
Scholar Ryan Nofiez expressed his gratitude to SM, the Pasay City government and their partners. He is set to take a course in automotive servicing and sees this as his ticket to a more comfortable life.
Nofiez is the seventh of 13 children and his family lives in a cemetery in Pasay. His father is a construction worker while his mother is a cemetery caretaker.
SMFI, through its scholarship program, has been providing deserving and qualified students access to college education and technical-vocational studies since 1993. To date, SMFI has produced more than 7,600 college and tech-voc scholar-graduates nationwide.