LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Governor Amado I. Espino, III, recently led the awarding of financial grants amounting to P17.7 million to 1,770 provincial scholars enrolled at the nine campuses of the Pangasinan State University.
Governor Espino was assisted by Board Member Jeremy Agerico Rosario, Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee chairperson on education during the awarding ceremony held recently at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center gym.
“We are doing our best to help you. Do your part as well as you go through the process,” Governor Espino told the provincial government scholars as he advised them to employ discipline in everything that they do.
“There is one reason why we are doing this for you, and that is to help you achieve your dreams, and to help your parents realize what they’ve been dreaming for you,” Governor Espino stressed.
Since the scholarship program for PSU students started in 2007 under the leadership of former governor and now 5th district Representative Amado I. Espino, III, 2,165 provincial scholars have already finished college schooling in PSU, of which 25 graduated with flying colors.
Board Member Rosario, author of a provincial resolution which institutionalized the scholarship programs of the province, took pride of how the provincial government values education for the young Pangasinenses through sustaining its scholarship programs.
Rosario said aside from the financial grants for provincial scholars enrolled in PSU, the provincial also has technical-vocational scholars, and scholarship grantees endorsed by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and Pangasinan Federated Muslims Association.
Delivering a testimony of how the scholarship program of the province helped her in attaining her dreams was Camera V. Lazam, then a provincial scholar enrolled in PSU Bayambang and now a licensed professional teacher.
Lazam said her family then was burdened financially that sustaining her college education was a struggle, not until the scholarship assistance from the province was offered to her, which gave her “a new hope” to finish her dreams.
Ms. Erlinda Fernandez, officer-in-charge for the provincial scholarship for PSU students, bared that each provincial scholar received Php10,000 financial grant for the whole academic year (Php5,000 for each semester).
Fernandez said the provincial scholars received their financial assistance from the province for Academic Year 2017-2018.
The 1,770 grantees this year is broken down as follows per campus: Alaminos City, 150; Asingan, 150; Bayambang, 300; Binmaley, 75; Infanta, 75; Lingayen, 400; San Carlos City, 220; Sta. Maria, 150; and Urdaneta City 250.
Also present during the distribution program were: Chief Administrative Officer Irmina Francisco, and the student services coordinators from PSU.
By Dexter A. See
