136 town scholars receive certificates of scholarship from PGMA
An initial 136 of the 1,500 town scholars received their certificates of college scholarship from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during a ceremony, recently.
The government’s scholarship program dubbed OTOS or One Town, One Scholar program is part of the President’s vision of “education for all.”
Under the program, one scholarship shall be provided to each of the 1,500 municipalities/towns in the entire country.
According to the Malacañang press report, each “town scholar” will enjoy free tuition and other school and miscellaneous fees for a 4-5-year college degree program in a state university or college, plus stipend for transportation and living allowances from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) not exceeding P15,000 per semester starting SY 2009-2010.
The town scholar, however, must pass the state college or university’s entrance examination.
Each municipal government is also encouraged to augment the scholarship benefits of the town scholar depending on the LGU’s capacity and the need of the beneficiary.
An OTOS scholar should be a natural-born Filipino citizen residing in the municipality/town; one of the top ten of the graduating class of a public school in the municipality/town; of good moral character and in good health; and the scholar’s gross annual family income is below P300,000.
Upon the instruction of President Arroyo, the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) headed by Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr. will convene the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to implement her “One Town, One Scholar” (OTOS) program as soon as possible, the Malacañang press report disclosed. (PIA6/T.Villavert)