The Valenzuela City Government has allotted P12 million for its flagship Dr. Pio Valenzuela Scholarship Program for this year’s batch of beneficiaries of 100 incoming college freshmen.

Program coordinator Miko Tongco said each student will receive P15,000 per semester, or equivalent to P120,000 per scholar to help sustain a four-year course of their choice in an institution recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

A program orientation was held by scholarship officials at the City Social Hall, April 15 to guide the students on their academic and other related responsibilities. Their parents, or guardians, likewise came to the event upon the invitation of program officials to better understand their children’s scholarship contract.

Coordinator Tongco said this approach would help prevent mishandling of the scholarship that may result to forfeiture of grants and missed opportunities. She said a Dr. Pio Valenzuela scholar must have an average grade of 2.0 or above, no dropped subjects and must be completely enrolled to the prescribed number of units per semester.

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV) faculty staff and a scholar from Batch 13, Winma Jane Carvajal likewise echoed on this by saying “This scholar program is not a financial grant in its truest sense. Tinuturan ka nito na maging responsible (This teaches you to become responsible).”

The program is now on its 20^th year with a recorded total number of 1,122 scholars, based on available data starting Batch 5. The program has been producing a crop of professionals in different fields that contributes to the development of the local economy.

The scholarship is made possible through the enactment of Municipal Ordinance No. 12, Series of 1995, as amended by City Ordinance No. 37, Series of 2009, entitling deserving students and Valenzuela City residents to receive an educational assistance of P30,000 annually for tuition and other school fees.

A high school graduate is qualified if he complies with the following: residency at the city for the past four years as verified by the barangay and school records, a general weighted average grade of at least 85%, a graduate of a Valenzuela City public or private high school and whose family’s total annual gross income does not exceed P120,000 as attested by Income Tax Return (ITR).

The grant also follows a set of strict evaluation procedures, scholarship officials say. Qualifying examinations are given and a thorough background check is conducted to all applicants to assess qualifications.

City council committee on education chair Coun. Lorie Natividad Borja in her speech revealed that out of 1,000 takers for this year, 600 students were pre-qualified but only 100 were finally chosen.

Valenzuela City Mayor REX Gatchalian, on the other hand, noted the decrease in number of beneficiaries compared to recent years as the city government decided to spread out funds to other priority projects on education.

“Bottom line is we should continue our investments on human capital development. Pabrika ng matatalinong propesyunal ang Valenzuela,” the chief executive said.

World class new campus for PLV

Meanwhile, Mayor REX made the announcement of the construction of a new campus for the city-administered PLV. He said the new facility would rise on a two-hectare property along Maysan Road in Brgy. Maysan.

“It’s going to be world class and will open in two years,” Gatchalian declared earning applause of approval from parents and their college-bound children.