LUNA, Apayao – The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) Luna Branch encourages the children and grandchildren of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) and Small Farmers and Fisheries (SFFs) as the financial institution launches its Iskolar ng Bayan program for the country’s 60 poorest provinces for the 2024-2025 school year.
Through its provision for financial entitlements, the Landbank’s scholarship program aims to support disadvantaged but deserving students from the Bank’s mandated sectors.
According to the institution, incoming first year students may avail of the program provided that they enrol in the program’s supported courses which include; Agribusiness Management, Horticulture, Animal Science, Food Technology, Agricultural Engineering, IT engineering, Industrial/Management Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Accounting, Information Technology, and Data Analytics/Science.
Meanwhile, students enrolled in agriculture-related courses that are not listed as favored are encouraged to apply, but their applications are subject to review by the program’s selection committee.
Successful scholars are entitled to an annual monetary grant of P100,000 to cover their clothing, uniform, shoes, allowance/stipend, book allowance, and other course requirements.
Additionally, additional financial award incentives will be given to honor graduates. Summa cum laude will be awarded P100,000, Magna Cum laude will be awarded P70,000, and cum laude will be awarded P50,000.
In addition, the scholars would be reimbursed up to P16,000 in cash for their licensure review and examination.
The institution has established specific requirements for program eligibility. Aspiring scholars must be children or grandchildren of ARBs beneficiaries or small farmers/fishers, recommended by a landbank agriculture-based client cooperative, association, and organization in the identified province, graduating senior high schools with an average grade of 90% or belonging to the top 10% of their class, endorsed by the high school principal, do not have any other scholarships, passed the admission requirements of the State Universities and Colleges, and have a family income not to exceed P300,000.
Scholars will also be expected to do on-the-job training/internship (OJT) in any LANDBANK unit, cooperative, or partner institutions in accordance with their OJT curriculum. By Jomela Dela Torre
