By Perla Lena/PNA
Western Visayas)
ILOILO CITY — A total of 633 students from Western Visayas are expected to join the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) roster of scholars after passing the DOST-Science Education Institute’s (SEI) 2019 scholarship examination.
Engr. Rowen Gelonga, DOST regional director, in a phone interview Wednesday, said the number of takers and passers is increasing every year. In the past years, the takers usually reach around 4,000.
This year, 6,639 examinees tried their luck and more or less 10 percent made the cut. Western Visayas belongs to the top five regions in the country in terms of the number of DOST scholars, Gelonga added.
Administered in October last year, 464 takers passed the “Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994” while 169 made it to the Merit Scholarship Program.
The Science and Technology Scholarship provides scholarship slots to poor but deserving students whose family’s annual gross incomes does not exceed the poverty threshold limit.
The Merit Scholarship Program is awarded to students with high aptitude in science and mathematics and are willing to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology.
Gelonga said that they have been campaigning for more takers. Application forms are sent to all schools in the region once the examination nears.
However, aside from the enhanced campaign for applicants, he cited that one of the reasons for the surge in takers is the increased awareness of available opportunities when one pursues a career in Science and Math.
The DOST scholars also have plenty of career options with high-paying jobs, unlike before when courses were limited.
Majority of the scholars opt to enroll in state universities and colleges (SUCs) because they have improved facilities and quality of education, he said.
The qualifiers shall enjoy financial benefits which include tuition subsidy, monthly stipend, book allowance, and others. Those enrolling in SUCs will no longer have to pay tuition because of the Free Tuition Act.
Meantime, those in private universities will be provided with subsidy for their tuition not to exceed PHP40,000 a year.
After graduation, the scholars are expected to render return service equivalent to the number of years they spent in school.
“DOST is strict in its return service agreement. Once you are a scholar of DOST, you really have to serve the country. The usual return service: you cannot get out of the country for the same number of years that you were a scholar,” said Gelonga, adding that DOST scholars are now working in the government, private sector and the academe.
Meantime, the qualifiers have to sign a contract with the DOST whether or not they will accept the scholarship. They may also opt to defer the scholarship for a while attending to some important concerns.
If they opt to pursue with the scholarship, then they have to attend a two-week Summer Orientation Enhancement Program where they are being prepared for college life, Gelonga said.
