BACOLOD CITY — Six Negrenses will leave for Australia on Aug. 5 to study Hospitality Management and Commercial Cookery at the International College of Advanced Education (ICAE) in the Northern Territory’s capital city of Darwin.
Karen Dinsay, head of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division, said on Tuesday the students will avail of a two-year grant under the ICAE Northern Territory Australia Scholarship Program.
The scholars are Demy Grace Lauron, Mary Mae Joy Marcial and Duane Ruiz from Murcia town, Justin Charles de la Paz from Victorias City, Nancy Mansinares from Sagay City, and Joery Rio from Talisay City.
They met with Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. on Monday, together with Philippine Honorary Consul General in Darwin Januario Rivas, Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology head Center Cristina Orbecido, and Dinsay.
Under the Negros Occidental provincial government’s “Study Now, Pay Later” scheme, the scholars will be allowed to work 20 hours per week on the first year, and 45 hours per week on the second year. In Darwin, the minimum wage per hour is pegged at 23-26 Australian dollars.
Marañon told the scholars, who met him with their parents, to value the chance to study abroad because “opportunity knocks but once.”
Quality education is one big factor to combat poverty, he added.
For his part, Rivas gave tips to the scholars on what to do in Darwin, being the pioneer batch of ICAE scholars from Negros Occidental. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
