Gov’t scholarship, educ initiatives to benefit Filipino students, schools

To strengthen access to and improve the quality of higher and technical-vocational education in the country, the Marcos Jr. administration initiated various education programs for Filipino students and higher education institutions on Jan. 23. 

The government introduced the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship (BPMS), an initiative in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which will benefit Filipino students with outstanding academic records. 

Under the program, five top-performing graduates from public and private senior high schools nationwide are eligible to be given opportunities to pursue collegiate/university degrees or technical-vocational diploma programs at high-performing institutions.

On behalf of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander ”Sandro” Marcos delivered a speech during the launch at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena.

He said that BPMS is a fulfillment of Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation’s Address (SONA), where the President emphasized government support for academically excellent students in higher education and their possible contribution to the country’s overall development. 

“These programs shall be aligned with our national priority sectors based on our country’s real and urgent needs that, if left unaddressed, would hold back national development,” he said.

Under this merit-based scholarship, programs will be aligned with national priorities identified by the government to help address critical skills gaps and other concerns affecting the country’s future progress.

Other initiatives were also introduced, including Project Patuloy na Edukasyon, Patuloy na Pag-Ahon (Project PEPA) under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and a data visualization platform from CHED. 

Under Project PEPA, information on government-funded education opportunities and pathways will be brought directly to students and families, especially those from low-income households. 

The President highlighted the importance of the nationwide information caravan, noting that it targets around 490,000 senior high school graduates from 4Ps households. 

“Because when families are informed, they are empowered. When students know what is available, they can plan their future with confidence,” he stated. 

Meanwhile, the government developed CHED-TANAW, a national higher education data visualization platform that provides an “integrated, data-driven view” of higher education institutions, enrollment, scholarships, and graduate outcomes with interactive maps to guide students toward legitimate and recognized institutions nationwide. 

“It strengthens transparency, it supports better policymaking, and through interactive maps and official data, it guides students towards legitimate and recognized institutions across the Philippines,” he added.